South Africa 2014 50 rand
This specimen was lot 23066 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Anaheim, CA, August 2016), where it sold for $705. The catalog description[1] noted, "SOUTH AFRICA. 50 Rand, 2014. NGC PROOF-70 ULTRA CAMEO. Leopard from the Natura series. Excellent artwork, some of the best seen on modern coinage, and in the ultimate grade from NGC. Total of 0.5000 Troy ounces AGW." 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 leopard is depicted on this issue of 2014.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 15.55 g, 0.999 fine gold, .500 troy oz AGW, 27 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Fr-B11, KM unlisted.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, The August 2016 Anaheim ANA Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2016.
- 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.
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