We begin our story with the Krugerrand, because it was the world's first bullion coin. It paved the way for subsequent investment coins. For decades, it has enjoyed uninterrupted popularity, not only among investors but also among collectors.
The Krugerrand comes from South Africa. The Rand Refinery Mint has been minting it since 1967. The first issue was only 50,000 pieces, but each year this number grew to millions of issues and the point when Krugerrands accounted for over 90% of the global gold coin market – this situation occurred for the first time in the 1980s.
Where did the idea to create an investment coin come from? The reason was the large quantities of gold, which prompted the South African Mining Chamber to create the world's first gold bullion coin.
Currently, Krugerrands are legal tender in South Africa (although they are not used in monetary transactions). However, they do not have a face value, and their value is determined based on the price of gold and the availability of coins.
And where does the name come from? It is a combination of two words. The surname of the president of the South African Republic, a historical state in what is now South Africa, Paul Kruger—it was during his time that large gold deposits were discovered—and the word "rand," which is the name of South Africa's currency.
Initially, the coin was produced only in one ounce of gold, but since 1980, versions containing half, quarter, and tenth ounces of pure gold have also been minted.
However, the weight of the coin itself is always slightly higher, as copper is added to the 22-carat gold. This is done to make the coin harder and thus protect it from mechanical damage. The addition of copper also gives the coin its distinctive appearance – it has a slightly redder shade of gold.
For years, only the gold Krugerrand was available on the market, but on the 50th anniversary of its first issue, the South African mint created a silver version.
The Krugerrand is one of those coins that has not changed its appearance throughout its long history, making it recognizable all over the world. From the very beginning, the obverse has been decorated with the image of South African President Paul Kruger. It is a portrait by Otto Schulz. Around it is a double inscription "South Africa" in the two official languages of the country, English and Afrikaans.
The reverse side features the symbol of South Africa, the springbok antelope. Its image in full gallop was created by Cert Steyberg. The name of the coin, the year of issue, and the weight are engraved around it.
It is not without reason that the second bullion coin we are writing about is the Canadian Maple Leaf. This coin, issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, was released as a competitor to the South African Krugerrand. It took advantage of the political circumstances, namely apartheid in South Africa, which caused problems with the availability of Krugerrands. It was introduced into circulation in 1979.
The Canadian Maple Leaf is one of the purest coins in the world in terms of precious metal content and the longest continuously produced pure gold bullion coin. It was the first bullion coin to contain only gold, without any other metals added. Currently, it is pure 24-karat gold with a fineness of 9999, but initially, until 1982, the fineness was 999. Today, this coin is minted not only from gold, but also from silver, platinum, and palladium, which makes it unique among other bullion coins.
The Maple Leaf is legal tender in Canada. The face value of a one-ounce coin is 50 Canadian dollars.
The Canadian Maple Leaf is one of the most secure coins in the world. First and foremost, it is protected by Bullion DNA technology, an innovative microscopic engraving that registers each coin in the mint's database. This allows authorized partners of the Royal Canadian Mint and members of the Bullion DNA program, such as Mennica Skarbowa, to easily verify its authenticity. Our branch employees have professional Bullion DNA Reader devices at their disposal, which allow them to verify the engraving and thus confirm the authenticity of gold and silver coins in real time.
Similar to Krugerrand coins, this coin also features the symbol of its country of origin, namely a maple leaf. It has been used as a symbol of Canada since 1700. Around the leaf on the reverse side are the inscriptions "Canada," "FINE GOLD 1 OZ OR PUR," and next to it is information about the gold fineness.
The obverse, as with most coins from the Canadian Mint, features an image of Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by the inscription "Elizabeth II," the denomination, and the date of issue of the gold coin. Walter Otto is responsible for the design.
The Canadian Maple Leaf coin is available in various weights: 1 ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, 1/10 ounce, and 1/20 ounce. However, in 2007, a much heavier coin was created. The Royal Canadian Mint produced a 100 kg coin for promotional purposes. It had a diameter of 50 centimeters and a thickness of 3 centimeters. Six such coins were produced. One of them was stolen from the Bode Museum in Berlin.
Finally, it is worth noting that the Royal Canadian Mint quickly adjusts its prices to market changes, allowing for more dynamic management of your investment.
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