South Africa 2001 1/2 ounce

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from Stack's Bowers 2017 NYINC sale, lot 7288
photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

This specimen was lot 7288 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2017), where it sold for $646.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "SOUTH AFRICA. 1/2 Natura, 2001. NGC PROOF-69 ULTRA CAMEO. Features the Oryx or Gemsbok. Hard mirror fields with highly frosted devices. Superb eye appeal." 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, tho in much reduced numbers. As competition for it, the South African government also marketed the Natura series, featuring various animals native to the region.

Recorded mintage: 2,754 proofs.

Specification: 15.55 g, 0.999 fine gold, 27 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: Fr-B11; KM-266; H-NAT38.

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date, 13th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2018.
  • Hern, Brian, John Bothma and Hercie Pieterse, Hern's Handbook on South African Coins & Patterns, Ferndale, South Africa, 2013.
  • 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.
  • [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2017 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Richard Stuart Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2016.

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