2003 GOLD SOUTH AFRICA KRUGERRAND NGC PROOF 69 ULTRA CAMEO "CULLINAN DIAMOND"

RARE ONLY 500 MINTED!

 SOUTH AFRICA MINT PROUDLY STRUCK THIS KRUGERRAND AT THE CULLINAN MINE IN 2003. THEY WERE STRUCK AT DEPTH OF 654 METERS UNDERGROUND.

THE WORLDS LARGEST DIAMOND WAS FOUND IN THIS MINE IN 1905.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINT PROUDLY OFFERED THIS COIN AS A SYMBOL OF THE COUNTRY'S MINERAL RICHES.

CULLINAN DIAMOND PRIVY MINTMARK

GOLD ONE-OUNCE PROOF KRUGERRAND

CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 69 ULTRA CAMEO

OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF PRESIDENT "PAUL" KRUGER LEFT (BY OTTO SCHULTZ).

REV: SPRINGBOK (BY C.L.STEYNBERG) RIGHT DIVIDES DATE.

KM #73

THE STAR OF AFRICA DIAMOND, ALSO CALLED THE CULLINAN DIAMOND, WAS THE LARGEST ROUGH GEM QUALITY DIAMOND EVER FOUND (AT 3,106.75 CARAT or 1.37 lbs). IT WAS FOUND ON JANUARY 26, 1905, IN THE PREMIER No. 2 MINE NEAR PRAETORIA. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY CAPTAIN FREDERICK WELLS, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE MINE, DURING A ROUTINE DAILY INSPECTION. HE SAW A FLASH OF LIGHT ON THE WALL OF THE MINE, AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION HE SAW CRYSTAL. HE THOUGHT THE MINERS WERE PLAYING A TRICK ON HIM WITH A PIECE OF GLASS IMBEDDED IN THE WALL, BUT WHEN HE PRIED IT WITH HIS POCKETKNIFE HE RELEASED THE DIAMOND.  

THE CUT STONES FROM THE STAR OF AFRICA (7 MAJOR STONES AND 96 SMALLER STONES) MAY BE SEEN IN THE COLLECTION OF THE BRITISH CROWN JEWELS. THE LARGEST OF THE CULLINAN ROYAL DIAMONDS IS IN SAINT EDWARD'S SCEPTER. ALSO CALLED THE SCEPTRE WITH THE CROSS OR THE ROYAL SCEPTRE, AND WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR CHARLES II IN 1661, IT WAS REDESIGNED TO INCORPORATE THE CULLINAN I DIAMOND. CULLINAN I, THE GREAT STAR OF AFRICA, SINCE IS THE SECOND LARGEST CUT DIAMOND IN THE WORLD (IT WAS THE LARGEST UNTIL THE 1985 DISCOVERY OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEEE DIAMOND, FOUND IN THE SAME MINE), WEIGHING A MASSIVE 530+ CARATS. THE DIAMOND CAN BE REMOVED FROM ITS SETTING AND WORN AS A BROOCH. THE SCEPTRE REPRESENTS THE AUTHORITY OF THE MONARCH UNDER THE CROSS. CULLINAN II or STAR OF AFRICA II, THE SECOND LARGEST DIAMOND CUT FROM THE ROUGH ORIGINAL, IS SET IN THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN AND IS 317.4 CARATS. 

WHEN THE DIAMOND WAS SENT TO ENGLAND, IT WAS DONE SO WITH MUCH SHOWY SECURITY, POMP AND CEREMONY. IT SET SAIL BY STEAMSHIP AND WAS CLOSELY GUARDED THE ENTIRE JOURNEY. THE WHOLE AFFAIR WAS A DIVERSIONARY ROUSE, AND TO DETER THIEVES, A FAKE WAS ON THE SHIP AND THE REAL DIAMOND WAS SENT IN A PLAIN WRAPPED PACKAGE VIA PARCEL POST. IT WAS PRESENTED TO KING EDWARD VIII ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

CONTAINS 33.9305 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (1 OZ AGW)

32.69 MM IN DIAMETER

 ONLY 500 MINTED!