1 Krugerrand, South Africa, 1967

1 Krugerrand, South Africa, 1967

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Description (Brief)
One (1) Krugerrand coin
South Africa, 1967
Obverse Image: Bust of Paul Kruger facing left.
Obverse Text: SUID-AFRIKA / SOUTH AFRICA
Reverse Image: Springbok antelope.
Reverse Text: KRUGERRAND / 19 67 / FYNGOUD 1 OZ FINE GOLD / CLS
Description
This gold coin is called a Krugerrand because it features a portrait of Paul Kruger. Kruger was the president of the South African Republic (Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. Kruger descended from a group of European (primarily Dutch) immigrants known as Boers or Afrikaners. Kruger is known for his leadership of the Boers in resisting British intrusion into the Transvaal and, ultimately, fighting the British in the South African War (1899–1902). South Africa produced this coin more than 60 years after the end of the war. The decision to include a portrait of Kruger on national South African coins reflects the dominance of Afrikaners in the South African government in the 1960s and the prevailing political ideology in South Africa called apartheid (separateness). Apartheid laws enforced racial segregation and oppressed Africans and other people of color. These large gold coins were not intended to circulate widely within South Africa, but rather were marketed to foreign investors with the aim of bringing investment to the South African state during a period of international sanctions.
Ellen Feingold, Johan Fourie & Leigh Gardner (2021) A tale of paper and gold: The material history of money in South Africa, Economic History of Developing Regions, DOI: 10.1080/20780389.2021.1926232
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
coin
date made
1967
associated date
1967
place used
South Africa
place made
South Africa: Gauteng, Pretoria
associated place
South Africa
Physical Description
gold (overall material)
Measurements
overall:.27 cm x 3.25 cm; 3/32 in x 1 9/32 in
ID Number
NU.71.316.299
catalog number
71.316.299
accession number
297954
Credit Line
U.S. Department of Treasury. Bureau of Customs
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
South African Currency
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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