South Africa 1998 ounce
This specimen was lot 57767 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "SOUTH AFRICA. Gold Ounce Natura (100 Rand), 1998. Natura Series: Leopard. GEM PROOF." South Africa, after a turbulent history between English and Dutch settlers and the native population, was constituted the Union of South Africa in 1910. Coinage commenced in 1923. The krugerrand was introduced in 1967 as a one ounce gold bullion coin and was very popular around the world despite bearing the effigy of Paul Kruger, the chief exponent of apartheid. The white supremacist regime was ousted in 1989 but, amazingly enough, the krugerrand remains in production. As competition for it, the South African government also marketed the Natura series, featuring various animals native to the region. The leopold is depicted on this issue of 1998. The Natura was also sold in half, quarter and tenth ounce sizes.
Recorded mintage: 2,645 plus 300 countermarked.
Specification: 31.10 g, 0.999 fine gold, 1.000 troy oz AGW, 32.69 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-B10; KM-216.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Hern, Brian, John Bothma and Hercie Pieterse, Hern's Handbook on South African Coins & Patterns, Ferndale, South Africa, 2013.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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