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The Kruger Pond “Lost Hoard” (Image: South African Mint)
- The Kruger ponds, produced in South Africa between 1893 and 1900, were recently discovered in a Swiss vault and have since been acquired by the national Mint.
- The discovery of the “lost treasure” is believed to be another part of the enduring Kruger Millions puzzle.
- Legend has it that a cache of gold coins and bars was buried in Mpumalanga in 1900 before Paul Kruger fled to Europe.
- Kruger died in Switzerland in 1904.
- For more stories, visit www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
A stash of rare gold coins discovered in a Swiss vault, believed to be part of the missing Kruger Millions puzzle, is now up for sale.
But you will have to speak to SA Mint if you want to know how much you will pay.
The coins are part of what numismatics scholars have called the “lost treasure”, produced between 1893 and 1900, which is the year that then-President of the Republic of South Africa, Paul Kruger, left Pretoria by train.
By this time, the Second Boer War had lasted for about seven months, with the British avenging earlier defeats, dominating Kruger’s men and pressing to capture the capital.
Legend has it that a train loaded with coins and minted gold bars had been dispatched from Pretoria only 24 hours before the arrival of British troops. The gold, said to be worth billions of rands in today’s currency, was destined for Mozambique, where Kruger was preparing to flee abroad and gather European support for the war effort.
“The lost treasure”
It is commonly assumed that somewhere between Pretoria and Mozambique, possibly where the small town of eNtokozweni in Mpumalanga is located, a large portion of the gold coins and bars were buried, to be used to finance the fighting at a later stage. Kruger arrived in France by ship on November 22, 1900, with no trace of the gold stash.
The mystery of the missing “Kruger Millions” has inspired intrepid treasure hunters and braai theorists alike. In 2001, it became known that a family of farm workers had discovered some of these Kruger cobs near Ermelo in Mpumalanga as early as 1960. Beyond that, however, the gold has remained hidden.
That was until the recent discovery of a Swiss vault.
According to the South African Mint, a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the sack full of Kruger ponds was transported from the Netherlands to Switzerland shortly before the start of World War II. The treasure remained in a vault until it was recently sold at auction.
The Kruger Pond “Lost Hoard” (Image: South African Mint)
The Kruger Ponds, now owned by the South African Mint, have been independently verified and rated by the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation in Florida in the United States.
“The discovery of Lost Hoard is truly astonishing, and it is with great pride that we offer the coin sets to the numismatic fraternity,” says Honey Mamabolo, CEO of the South African Mint.
“The sets are the closest and once in a lifetime opportunity to physically possess authentic remains of the Transvaal gold.”
The Kruger Pond “Lost Hoard” (Image: South African Mint)
There are two limited edition sets available to purchase and interested customers are encouraged to contact Mint’s retail store, Coin World, directly.
Depending on the condition and year of the coin, the value of a double shaft Kruger pond in this “Lost Hoard” collection varies between R14,500 and R250,000.
- 1893-1900 Kruger Lost Hoard Half Pond with 2019 Private Label Proof 1/10 oz Gold Krugerrand (233 Units Available)
- Complete Pond of Lost Hoard Kruger from 1893-1900 and a private label proof ¼ oz gold Krugerrand from 2019 (677 units available)
The Kruger Pond “Lost Hoard” (Image: South African Mint)
“The packaging features, among other things, a replica of the original money bag in which the coins were hidden for more than a century,” notes the South African Mint.
Paul Kruger died in the small town of Clarens in Switzerland on July 14, 1904 at the age of 78 after spending a considerable amount of time in the Netherlands.
(Compiled by Luke Daniel)
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