If the thought of investing in gold appeals to you, consider investing in Kruger Rands.

 Kruger Rands are bullion coins, meaning that their wealth is gauged from their metallic composition rather than their rarity of occurrence (which is the case with numismatic coins). South Africa, a country rich in gold deposits, began minting the coins in 1967 in a bid to grow the market to private investors. The coin was minted with a side profile of President Paul Kruger on the obverse face and with a prancing springbok on the reverse. The design has remained unchanged to date.

The Kruger Rand coins proved so popular that despite the sanctions imposed on apartheid South Africa, they grew to become the dominant gold bullion coin with a 90% share of the market by 1980, inspiring many similar products in other countries. Interestingly enough the original coins were legal tender and could be used as readily as money to purchase goods. They still remain the most popular coins in the world and they are available in 1, ½, ¼ and 1/10 ounce variations.

You can buy Kruger Rands on bidorbuy.