2008 Gold 1oz Krugerrand

The 2008 Gold 1oz Krugerrand

Mintage: 256,288 (may include coins issued as part of a set). Minted at The Royal Mint.

Elizabeth II was in her 56th year as Queen. George W Bush is U.S. President. Olympics are in Beijing, China.

Krugerrands are gold 1oz coins from South Africa. They are very popular with bullion collectors and their price is usually closely associated with the current gold price.

The name is derived from a combination of Kruger (the former South-African president depicted on the obverse) and Rand, the South African unit of currency. Paulus ("Paul") Kruger (1825-1904) who was President of the South African Republic from 1883 to 1900. Kruger was one of the most important people in the history of 19th century South Africa.

The reverse shows the springbok, a medium sized antelope indigenous in South Africa and is a common symbol of the country. The South African rugby team is nicknamed the "Springboks".

Krugerrands weigh more than 1oz so that they can contain a full 1 troy ounce of fine gold.The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, it moved to the Tower of London in 1279 and remained there for over 500 years. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton. Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
South Africa is officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA) It is the southernmost country in Africa.

The coins of the South African rand are part of the physical form of South Africa's currency, the South African rand. In 1961, South Africa replaced the pound with a decimal currency: 100 cents (100c) = 1 rand (R1), 1 rand being valued at 10 shillings and 1 cent at 1.2 pence.

The Krugerrand is one of the World's most famous gold coins, being 1oz of fine gold.