Catalog
1/10 Ounce Krugerrand
| Issuer | South African Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-2024 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing bust of Paul Kruger, President of the South African Republic, rendered in high relief with finely detailed beard and period attire including a jacket and cravat. The effigy, originally sculpted by Coert Laurens Steynberg, occupies the majority of the field. The bilingual legend arcs around the periphery, reading 'SUID-AFRIKA' to the left and 'SOUTH AFRICA' to the right, separated at the top by a small lozenge ornament. A finely milled border frames the entire design. |
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| Edge | Milled |
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| Additional information |
The Krugerrand was born from necessity: in the 1960s, South Africa needed a mechanism to sell gold on international markets without going through central bank channels, and a legal-tender coin offered a workable loophole. The 1/10 oz fraction wasn't introduced until 1980, a direct response to competition from Canada's Maple Leaf program, which had begun attracting buyers priced out of the full-ounce market.
During the 1980s, widespread international sanctions against apartheid-era South Africa made Krugerrands legally unsaleable in the United States, the UK, and much of the EC — a ban that lasted in the US from 1985 until 1994. Coins struck through those years moved primarily through grey markets and intermediary nations.