Description

The Springbok first appeared on South African coins in 1947, designed by renowned sculptor Coert Steynberg, and has since become an iconic national symbol. Initially featured on silver crown-sized coins, the Springbok design was later used on gold one-pound, half-pound, R1, and R2 coins. It also appeared on the 50c coins (1960–1964) and the nickel R1 coins (1977–1990). The gold 1 and 2 Rand coins, minted between 1961 and 1983, featured Jan van Riebeeck on the obverse and the Springbok on the reverse, with 91.7% gold content. After 1983, these were replaced by silver coins, and smaller Krugerrand versions followed.

The Krugerrand, introduced in 1967, was created to promote South African gold internationally. Named after President Paul Kruger, it became the first coin to contain exactly one ounce of gold and was marketed as a way for private individuals to own gold. Although legal tender, the Krugerrand was primarily intended as an investment coin. Due to apartheid, it faced import bans in many Western countries during the 1970s and 1980s, which were lifted after South Africa's political reforms in the 1990s.