If you’ve ever considered Mandela Coins to be highly speculative collector’s items, then put your coffee cup safely on the table before we share the following winning bid from the auction floors. A flawless copy of the “Super Mario 64 game” – originally released in 1996, and believed to be the only copy of its condition in existence – sold for $1.5m at an online auction in June 2021. Had the mysterious buyer paid for his acquisition with the famed R5 legal tender discussed in this blog, he or she would have had to deposit a truckload of almost 4.4 million 5 rand coins in exchange for a single unit of this iconic video game!
While Mandela Coins may not (as yet) fetch million dollar price tags per unit, certain releases remain highly sought after and appreciate year on year. This is due, in part, to the lasting legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, South Africa’s much loved first Democratic President.
How do I know if my R5 Mandela coin is worth more than R5?
Many argue that the value of the R5 Mandela coins, particularly those widely circulated to commemorate Madiba’s 90th birthday, are worth, well, five rand!! However, to dispute this blanket assumption, City Press made a clear distinction between R5 coins worth face value and their collectors-item counterparts, which have stirred interest from investors in their article ‘Not all R5 coins are equal’
It is also worth noting that the true value of lucrative Mandela coins stems from the precious metals used in their production, tied to the global Gold Price. Should you possess one of these “genuine” gold proof coins, kept in their original capsule, you may just be sitting on an investment that could yield significant returns above their intrinsic value. However, this is a highly specialised market and expert advice should first be sought before buying and selling coins of this stature.
Which editions of Mandela Coins are most sought after by collectors?
The value of the diminutive R5 coin celebrating the life and legacy of Mandela is broadly based on significant birth and historical milestones. With limited editions of collectors coins circulated by the SA mint, outside of the legal tender, you are unlikely to receive one at your local supermarket. A word of caution though – the value of a Mandela coin may take years, if not decades, to reach the heights of some of the winning bids recently recorded for rare editions.
The 2008 R5 Mandela Coin is widely considered to be the rarest of these coins whose value spiked significantly after the President’s death in 2013. Other Mandela coins considered precious gold in the collectors’ market include the 1994 Inauguration Coin and the 2018 limited release to mark what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday.
Buy or Sell your Mandela Coins on bidorbuy for the highest Prices
If you are, by now, itching to rummage through an old piggy bank to spot a diamond in the rough, there are several outlets where you can trade these precious and proudly South African coins. The quickest option would be to sell your coins to a Coin or Gold company, but these establishments generally offer fixed prices which may be well below their current market values.
If you want to get the most bang for your buck (or R5 Mandela coin), online platforms such as bidorbuy can connect you to buyers from across the world, generating a bidding war for your precious commodity. Whether you possess a single coin or an entire commemorative set, bidorbuy is your essential marketplace for the trade of Mandela coins, Krugerrands, and other rare coins.
