Rand Refinery – history of the mint

Rand Refinery is the world’s largest gold refinery, which was established in the early 20th century as a private enterprise. It processed nearly one-third of all the gold ever to go to mints.

Before the Rand Refinery was established, bullion mined in Africa was sent to London and only there was refining. Construction of the local refinery was completed in 1921, and Germiston, a dozen kilometers from Johannesburg, was chosen as the location. It was a popular industrial region with gold mines, which facilitated mining and the transportation of bullion to the mint.

In 1965, the refinery underwent a major upgrade. Further changes took place in 1984. In the 1960s Rand Refinery launched its famous Krugerrands, and in 1993 the mint became an independent company with shares in five major gold mines: Anglogold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony, DRDGOLD and Sibanye Gold.

Rand Refinery currently

Investment gold bars from Rand Refinery bear the RandPure® mark, which stands for the highest quality and guaranteed purity of the bullion sold. Products from Rand Refinery are certified, and the company operates under LBMA accreditation.

Rand Refinery’s flagship coin, the Krugerrand, is made from 22-karat gold of 9167, with a touch of copper, which makes the coins more durable and gives them their distinctive color.

Gold Krugerrands are available in:

• 1 oz,
• 1/10 oz,
• 1/2 oz,
• 1/4 ounce.

As of 2018, Rand Refinery also produces 1-ounce silver Krugerrands.

Gold bars from Rand Refinery are particularly valued by investors due to their ideal bullion purity and workmanship. The investment bars are cast in weights:

• 2 g,
• 5 g,
• 10 g,
• 20 g,
• 1 oz,
• 50 g,
• 100 g.

Rand Refinery focuses primarily on gold. However, you can also find bars made of fine silver.