Lorence FIVAZ bought a bag of old coins for R1-million. The bag contained 240 Kruger pennies minted in 1898. They might be worth R7-million today. They belonged to Samuel (Sammy) MARKS. Lorence is the owner of South Cape Coins in Mossel Bay. A great-grandson of Marks sold the coins to a coin dealer in Johannesburg earlier this month. The coins are veing evaluated by Numismatic Guaranty Corp. in Sarasota, USA. Lorence will sell them afterwards. In 1998 Lorence sold a Single Nine Kruger Pound for R4,65-million, and in 2001 sold the same coin for R9,8-million. The Single Nine was the result of a wrong stamp being used in 1898. The coins after that were stamped with small double 9s.
In 1868 Sammy MARKS landed in Cape Town, a penniless young man. He became a smous (travelling salesman) before going to Kimberley where he became involved in the Diamond Rush. He moved to the Transvaal and became a life-long friend of President Paul KRUGER. In 1898 Marks was allowed to use the State Mint for one day. He minted 215 golden Tiekies to give his family and friends as gifts. A few months ago, one of the Marks Tiekies sold for R1,4-million.