Opis
"Paul Kruger, (born 10 October 1825 in Bulhoek, died 14 July 1904 in Clarens) - South African politician of Boer-German origin, leader of the Boer resistance against the British and president of the South African Republic. He was born and raised in a family of Dutch-German Boer descent on his grandparents' farm in the east of the British Cape Colony in southern Africa. When he was nine years old, in 1834, his father and his entire family set off for the region of today's Natal, Oranje and Transvaal provinces in South Africa. Many of the participants in this so-called 'Great Migration' opposed the progressive Anglicisation of the Boer colony and plans to abolish slavery there. In time, Paul Kruger became a member of Parliament and Comptroller-General of the South African Republic and, in 1874, Deputy President of the Transvaal. In 1880 he was elected President of the Transvaal, continuing to solicit at home and abroad for the interests of the white inhabitants of the young republic. Twice married, Kruger lived to see a total of seven daughters and ten sons (his long-absent second wife died in Africa in 1901). He died alone in Switzerland in the summer of 1904, and a few months later his body was transported to Pretoria and buried there. His former residence in Pretoria now houses a museum. A statue of Paul Kruger stands nearby, and one of South Africa's national parks (Kruger National Park) and a coin (krugerrand) are named after him." The Krugerrand is the most famous bullion coin in the world. Its name is derived from 'Kruger' and the word 'rand' - which is the name of South Africa's currency. It has been minted continuously since 1967. Initially only one ounce coins were produced, but in 1980 Krugerrands in 1/2, 1/4 and 1/10 ounce gold were introduced. It is minted from 916 grade gold with a small admixture of copper (8.333%), making it more scratch resistant, and it also stands out for its unusual colour. South African Mint is the official mint of South Africa, based in Centurion, Gauteng Province near Pretoria. It produces coins for the South African Reserve Bank, headed by A. M. Mvinjelwa. The obverse is decorated with a portrait of Paul Kruger, while the obverse contains the words 'South Africa' in Afrikaans and English. The reverse depicts a springbok antelope, which is the symbol of South Africa. On either side of it are numbers representing the year of minting, and underneath is the inscription 'Fyngoud 1/10oz fine gold', indicating the pure gold content.