| Only half a year to go
until the 39th
edition of the World Money Fair takes off in Berlin. The registration forms
are on their way to you. However, besides all organizational and formal
preparations, we would already like to give you a taste of the emotional highlights
of the upcoming event by presenting, first and foremost, our next guest of honor,
SOUTH AFRICA, represented by the South African Mint. Destination
South Africa The World in One Country It
is almost impossible to find a better description of the country that will be
our guest of honor in 2010 than the slogan The world in one country,
which the South African tourist board has been using for years. The combined charms
of the black continent seem to complement and enhance each other in
a magical way in this country at the southernmost end of Africa. With a
coastline of more than 2,500 km (over 1,500 miles) bordering the Atlantic and
the Indian oceans, South Africa offers a richly varied landscape. From deserted
sandy beaches to busy seaside resorts, from the dried up soils of the Kalahari
to the lush green forests along the Garden Route. One of the countrys
greatest attractions is its unmatched biodiversity. In hundreds of smaller game
reserves and in huge national parks, like Kruger National Park, visitors can see
the African "Big Five" lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhinoceros
in their natural habitat. Moreover various species of antelope, such as
impala, kudu and springbuck, are found here, as well as ostriches, flamingos and
zebras. Rainbow Nation South Africa South Africas ethnic
and cultural diversity is impressive. Besides black Africans which belong to numerous
ethnic groups, making up for about 79.5% of the total population, the South African
nation consists of the descendants of Dutch, German, French and English immigrants,
great-grandchildren of early European settlers, and many people of Indian origin.
The peaceful working and living together of different ethnic groups which
visitors can see today is highly valued, as it has not always been characteristic
of the country. The conflicts between the white minority and the black majority
decisively shaped South African history and politics. When the National Party,
led by white Africans like the Boers descendants of Dutch settlers, won
the elections in 1948, the government established the internationally ostracized
system of apartheid, which for half a century stood for oppression and injustice.
Only through decades of struggle of black South Africans with their leader Nelson
Mandela political change was brought about in 1990. Export
Number One: The Krugerrand
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The obverse of the Krugerrand bears a portrait
of Paul Kruger and the words SUID-AFRIKA and SOUTH AFRICA. | |
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The South-African national animal, the springbuck,
is depicted on the reverse, together with the year of minting in a divided inscription
left and right of the antelope. The inscriptions along the edge read KRUGERRAND
in the upper part and FYNGOUD 1 OZ FINE GOLD in the lower part. | |
This gold coin, called Rand like South
African legal tender and named after the South African politician Paul Kruger
(1825-1904), has been an amazing success story since the South African Mint in
Pretoria minted the first one in 1967. During the first years of production,
only 40,000 of these valuable coins were brought into circulation. But before
long, the coin output was multiplied. In 1970, the exact number of 211,018 pieces
left the South African Mint. By 1974, an output of 3.2 million coins was reached.
In 1980, in addition to the original one-ounce gold coin, fractional coins were
first introduced. Conceived as the first modern investment coin, the value
of the pieces exclusively depends on the amount of gold contained in them. Thus,
the Krugerrand actually from the start was designed as a gold bullion in the form
of a coin. It has the formal status of legal tender accepted by the South African
National Bank, although it is hardly ever used as such. Still, Krugerrand coins
are different from other coins, as they do not have a face value. The value of
the coins is fixed on a daily basis according to the current price of gold. The
South African Mint at the World Money Fair 2010 At the booth of the South
African Mint, the visitors of the next World Money Fair will learn interesting
facts about the Krugerrand, its genesis, development and current issues. Our guests
of honor, however, will also tell us about more about the country and its people,
inviting all visitors to share impressions of a fascinating culture and a highly
attractive destination. Please note the dates of the numismatic event of
the year: 39th
World Money Fair January 29-31, 2010 We are looking forward
to your visit! |