On 10 October, Paul Kruger would have celebrated his 201st birthday. And while there won’t be candles, cake or a 201-gun salute, his famously bearded profile is still going strong – on one of South Africa’s most recognisable exports: the Krugerrand.
Image Source: Paul Kruger Wikipedia
Born on 10 October 1825, Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger went on to become President of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) and one of the best-known figures in South African history. More than two centuries after his birth, however, millions of people around the world probably know his face for another reason. It appears on the Krugerrand.
The face that launched a gold icon
When the first Krugerrand was struck on 3 July 1967, Kruger’s portrait appeared on the obverse, with the springbok on the reverse.
And here’s a good piece of coin trivia: the portrait wasn’t created especially for the Krugerrand. It was based on a design by German die-engraver Otto Schultz, originally used on Kruger-era coinage in 1892. The springbok, meanwhile, was designed by celebrated South African sculptor Coert Steynberg.
Together, beard and buck became a rather formidable double act.
What’s in a name?
Even the name Krugerrand is a mash-up.
Kruger + rand = Krugerrand.
Simple. Catchy. And, almost 60 years after the coin first appeared, instantly recognisable.
The original Krugerrand also did something unusual: it carried no face value. Instead, its value was linked to its gold content and the prevailing gold price. The original one-ounce coin contains exactly one troy ounce of fine gold.
Since then, the Krugerrand family has grown considerably. There are classic one-ounce coins, fractional sizes, Proof Krugerrands, special editions, privy marks and some remarkably rare collectables.
And then there is the decidedly tiny end of the family.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Paul Kruger’s birth in 2025, a special 1/50 oz Proof Gold Krugerrand was issued with a PK200 privy mark. At just 8mm in diameter, it proves that you don’t need to be big to carry a very big name.
201 and still going strong
Paul Kruger belongs to a complicated chapter of South African history. But from a numismatic point of view, his portrait has achieved something extraordinary: it has remained part of the Krugerrand's visual identity since 1967.
So, on 10 October, we’re marking the birthday in the way we know best – by taking another look at the coins, stories, rarities and unusual editions that have grown around the Krugerrand name.
Happy 201st birthday, Oom Paul. You’re still on the money.
