Krugerrand 50th Anniversary
Client: South African Mint and Rand Refinery
Period: 2017
Manufacturing & industrials
Banking & finance
Awards & events
Arts, culture & heritage
01 — The sneak-peek
Fifty years of the gold standard
In 2017 the Krugerrand turned fifty. To mark the jubilee, BBA Liminal designed the definitive coffee table book on the coin's history for the South African Mint and Rand Refinery, and shaped its global moment — the World Money Fair stand in Berlin and the gala that celebrated it.
02 — The liminal moment
In 2017 the Krugerrand celebrated its Golden Jubilee — fifty years as the most popular collectable gold coin in the world. First struck in 1967, the coin is woven through South Africa's history, before and after apartheid, and the South African Mint marked the milestone with new ranges and a presence at the 2017 World Money Fair in Berlin.
BBA Liminal was appointed to design a coffee table book setting down the definitive history of the Krugerrand, published by the South African Mint and Rand Refinery. Around it, we helped shape the jubilee's global presentation. The brief was a commemorative book. The deeper task was to give a fifty-year-old icon a record and a moment worthy of it — a considered object that would last, and a presence on the world stage to match.
03 — The transformation
A book made to last. We designed the definitive history of the Krugerrand as a casebound coffee table book in Kashgar cover material, with debossed, soft-touch machine-varnished detailing and divider pages in rose-gold metallic to match the coin's hue. An object built to be kept.
A presence on the world stage. We shaped the South African Mint's presence at the 2017 World Money Fair in Berlin — the specially designed Krugerrand stand, with fifty coins, one for each year, and curated artworks that set the coin in its wider story.
A jubilee worth remembering. We helped stage the 50th-anniversary celebration in Berlin: a gala dinner at the BOLLE Festsäle of South African food, wine and music, a performance by Abdullah Ibrahim, and a menu by Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Nelson Mandela's personal chef, drawn from Madiba's own favourites, alongside a cocktail event and designer pieces.
04 — The craft
Design that meets the gold standard
A casebound history of the Krugerrand in Kashgar and rose gold; the Berlin World Money Fair stand with fifty coins and curated artworks; and a jubilee gala of South African food, wine, jazz and a Madiba-inspired menu.
World Money Fair stand
Curated artworks
Cocktail event
Designer pieces
Gala event
05 — The validation of purpose
“South Africans who are united by their shared love of the Krugerrands can now collect limited edition accessories and coins to celebrate their pride…”
— Tumi Tsehlo, Managing Director, SA Mint
92% 22-karat gold
First struck 1967
50 coins shown in Berlin
Brand & communications strategy
Facilitation & convening
Exhibition curation
Event & convening design
Publication & editorial design
