South Africa Has a Wealth of Rare Coins

In July 2007,  bobshop, South Africa's leading online marketplace, facilitated the sale of an 1892 ZAR Kruger pond sold for a staggering R210,000.

The coin that was purchased online for R210,000 was a purchase motivated by a passion for collecting. The rare South African coin was awarded a grading of MS61 by the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of America) which is one of the highest grading any coin can be awarded and the coin itself is one of three ever to be graded by the NGC.

Rare coins are only as rare as the number that were initially minted and that have endured to remain through the ages. The buyer of the coin who wishes to remain anonymous says, "South Africa has a wealth of rare coins which are of high value due to the fact that not many were minted until much later on. Rare South African coins carry the intangible quality of their history which contributes heavily to the coins value. All of these rare coins have a story; they are a fold in the page of our history books that teach us about where we are from and how we have evolved through time." Business manager of bobshop, Gillian Meier reports, "After reviewing sales performances from January to June 2007, Bob Shop has seen a total turnover of over R 5,4 million in the coin and notes category. This is the value of successful sales within the category that were concluded via the website. The coin and notes category has consistently been amongst the top 5 performing categories by turnover out of a total of 36 varying categories found on the site".

South Africa's rarest and most valuable coin at the moment is called the "Single 9" aka "The King of World Coins", with a mintage of only one. This exceptional South African coin has converted its value of R1, 500,000 in 1996 to today's value of R18, 000,000 and it is said to eventually appreciate to a staggering R347,500,000 in some years to come.

While coin collectors are indulging in their hobby they too are investing their disposable income in one of the most liquid assets available. Investing in gold is venture some struggle to see relevance in, but as commented by Ronel Pieterse a wealth creation coach, "Investing in Kruger Rand's is a relevant exercise as the gold market tends to strengthen in the long run when other asset classes weaken and this makes gold in the form of Kruger Rand's, a part of an ideally diversified investment portfolio". Most ZAR coins dated between 1874 and 1902 have been independently reported as having doubled in value over the last year which although may not provide you with real money dividends, or instant monetary payouts, the fact remains that coin collections will yield gains in the long term.

Investing in physical gold also serves as the ideal "hedge" against major crises such as economic collapse (the current economic shutdown in Zimbabwe) and global uncertainty. It is a universal symbol of wealth which cannot be mismanaged or go bankrupt and compared to other investment markets such as art, diamonds and real estate, it is a relatively affordable and simple market to enter, sustain and track its financial growth. It is certainly one of the most "user friendliest" financial investment tools to spend time learning about if you are looking to secure some financial security for the future.