1 Krugerrand, South Africa, 1968

One (1) Krugerrand coin, proof South Africa, 1968 Obverse Image: Bust of Paul Kruger facing left. Obverse Text: SUID-AFRIKA / SOUTH AFRICA Reverse Image: Springbok antelope. Reverse Text: KRUGERRAND / 19 68 / FYNGOUD 1 OZ FINE GOLD / CLS 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 Currently not on view