Silver Krugerrand

In 2017, the South African Mint celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand, which gave way to the striking of the monumental 2017 South African Silver Krugerrand – the first ever silver coin in the long-running Krugerrand collection. The test striking the first silver Krugerrand was made available for public viewing at FUN 2017 on the 6th of January. 

Primarily, the coin was not supposed to be an annual-release option that would continue for years to come. However, due to the popularity of the commemorative 2017 issue among investors and enthusiasts, the South African Mint decided to respond by adding the 2018 South African Silver Krugerrand as a permanent staple of its annual releases. 

Value

The 2018 South African SIlver Krugerrand Coin bears 1 troy ounce of .999 pure silver in “Brilliant Uncirculated” condition. Unlike the Gold Krugerrand, Silver Krugerrands carry a face value of 1 Rand or R1. This value is marked on the coin’s front side. And, as usual, the coin is also considered as a legal tender accepted by the South African Mint. 

South African Big Five Silver Series

In 2019, the South African Mint introduced a new series of Krugerrand coins that investors and collectors alike could look forward to. This series became known as the Big Five Series. As the name suggests, it focuses on the five largest and most famous animal species in the continent of Africa. Each design features an animal that is native to the nation and comes with a mintage of only 15,000 silver Krugerrands per design. Each coin has been assigned with a face value of  5 Rands (5R) and carries the same design concept. 

Each of the coin’s obverse is an image of an animal in the representative release and includes the coat of arms for the Republic of South Africa below the animal. The reverse of the coins, on the other hand, depicts two close-up images of the animals’ faces that are so close together that one seems to blend with the other. 

Inscribed in the center of the design are the face value, metal content, and weight of the coin. Available issues included in the series up to date include the following: 

• 2019 African Bush Elephant
• 2019 African Lion
• 2020 Rhino
• 2020 Leopard*
• 2021 Buffalo*

Design

On the front side of the coin is Otto Schultz’s depiction of Paul Kruger, Former President of South African Republic. On the image, Kruger is shown on his left-side profile, giving emphasis on his long, thick beard. His effigy is flanked by two inscriptions, the name of the issuing country in Afrikaans, “SUID-AFRIKA,” and English, “SOUTH AFRICA.”

Meanwhile, the back side of the coin features Coert Sterynber’s springbok antelope design, where the creature bounds gracefully through a field with its head turned to the right of the holder. The date of the coin is split on either side of the animal, with the first two digits on the left and the last two on the right. Arching over the animal is the name of the coin, “KRUGERRAND.” Inscriptions along the bottom portion of the rim offer the coin’s weight in its native Afrikaans and English, “FYNSILWER 1 OZ FINE SILVER,” and the coin’s face value, “R1” (1 Rand).

References:

https://www.govmint.com/world-coins/south-africa-coins/silver-krugerrands-coins