Gold and platinum coins from the South African Mint
The following tables show the published mintage figures and product limits for the Big Five issues in gold and platinum, arranged by Series I, Series II and Series III. They include published sales figures, product limits and additional issues in sets. For Series I, for example, 498 / 500 means 498 examples sold against a published limit of 500. For later issues, mainly product limits are available.
Individual coins and sets are listed separately. The limits of different products may not simply be added together to determine a supposed total mintage.
General information about the coin series can be found on our Big Five Gold Coins page. More information about the mint can be found at the South African Mint .
Big Five Series I – Gold and Platinum Proof
| Year / Motif | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Elephant | 1 oz: 498 / 500 Krugerrand set: 96 / 100 | 1 oz: 495 / 500 |
| 2019 Lion | 1 oz: 500 / 500 Krugerrand set: 98 / 100 | 1 oz: 496 / 500 |
| 2020 Rhino | 1 oz: 500 / 500 Krugerrand set: 100 / 100 | 1 oz: 336 / 500 * |
| 2020 Leopard | 1 oz: 500 / 500 Krugerrand set: 100 / 100 | 1 oz: 500 / 500 |
| 2021 Buffalo | 1 oz: Limit 500 Krugerrand set: Limit 100 | 1 oz: Limit 500 |
Example: 498 / 500 means 498 coins sold, with a published limit of 500.
* Rhino 2020 Platinum: The South African Mint reports 336 pieces sold. The Product Mintages table lists a limit of 1,000, while a later official order form specifies a limit of 500. In the table, we use the later published value of 500 and document the discrepancy.
Big Five Series II – Gold and Platinum Proof
The following figures are product limits and not published total sold figures.
| Year / Motif | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Elephant * | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 Double Capsule: 1,000 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 | 1 oz: 500 |
| 2022 Lion | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 Double Capsule: 1,000 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 | 1 oz: 500 |
| 2022 Rhino | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 Double Capsule: 1,000 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 | 1 oz: 500 |
| 2023 Leopard | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 Double Capsule: 1,000 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 | 1 oz: 500 |
| 2023 Buffalo | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 Double Capsule: 1,000 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 | 1 oz: 500 |
* Elephant 2021: The South African Mint’s original 2021 range specifies a limit of 1,000 for both the 1 oz gold and 1 oz platinum coins. Later official order forms, however, list both issues at 500. We use the later published value of 500 and document the discrepancy.
The double capsule set contains two 1/4 oz gold coins. Therefore, an officially confirmed total mintage of 4,000 coins cannot be automatically inferred from 2,000 individual coins and 1,000 sets.
Big Five Series II – Large Gold Issues
| Year / Motif | 5 oz Gold BU | 1 kg Gold BU |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Elephant | 50 | 10 |
Big Five Series III – Gold Proof
| Year / Motif | Individual issues | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Elephant | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 | Double Capsule: 100 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 |
| 2025 Lion | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 | Double Capsule: 100 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 |
| 2025 Rhino * | 1 oz: Limit not published 1/4 oz: Limit not published | Double Capsule: Limit not published Krugerrand set: Limit not published |
| 2026 Leopard | 1 oz: 500 1/4 oz: 2,000 | Double Capsule: 100 Sets Krugerrand set: 100 |
| 2026 Buffalo | not yet published | not yet published |
* Rhino 2025: The South African Mint lists the corresponding gold issues on its official year page, but continues to only indicate “xx” for the Limited Editions. Therefore, we do not use values derived from the other Series III issues.
The Leopard is explicitly designated by the South African Mint as the penultimate issue of Series III. The gold Buffalo issues have not yet been published as of the date of this overview.
Big Five Series III – Large Gold Issues
| Year / Motif | 5 oz Gold | 1 kg Gold |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Elephant | 50 | 10 |
| 2025 Lion | 50 | 10 |
| 2025 Rhino | Limit not published | Limit not published |
| 2026 Leopard | 50 | 10 |
| 2026 Buffalo | not yet published | not yet published |
Even for the large gold editions of the rhinoceros 2025, the South African Mint currently only lists xx as a limited edition.
Big Five Platinum after 2023
The Big Five Platinum Proof issues published to date end in 2023 with Series II. No Platinum Proof issues of Series III have been published by the South African Mint so far.
Big Five Bullion in Gold and Platinum
In addition to the collector’s editions, there is a separate Big Five bullion program. A platinum bullion coin under the Big Five brand was introduced in 2020. This was followed in 2022 by a new bullion program featuring 1-oz coins made of 24-karat gold and platinum.
We currently do not have reliable official annual mintage figures for these bullion issues. Therefore, we deliberately do not publish any figures derived from dealer offers or market data.
Sources
- South African Mint – Product Mintages
Total Sold Out and Limited Editions especially for Big Five Series I 2019 and 2020.
South African Mint – Product Mintages - South African Mint – 2021 Collectable Coin Range
Big Five Buffalo Series I and Elephant Series II.
South African Mint – 2021 Range - South African Mint – 2022 Collectable Coin Range
Series II Lion and Rhinoceros.
South African Mint – 2022 Range - South African Mint – 2023 Collectable Coin Range
Series II Leopard and Buffalo, as well as the large gold editions of the Elephant.
South African Mint – 2023 Range - South African Mint – Official Order Form 2023.06
For cross-checking the Series II limits, especially Elephant 2021 and Rhino 2020 Platinum.
South African Mint – Order Form 2023.06 - South African Mint – Official Order Form 2023.07
Series II Elephant, Lion, Rhinoceros and Leopard.
South African Mint – Order Form 2023.07 - South African Mint – Big Five Series III Elephant 2024
Big Five Series III – Elephant - South African Mint – Big Five Series III Lion 2025
Big Five Series III – Lion - South African Mint – 2025 Collectable Coin Range
Official information on the Rhino 2025, including the currently still open Limited Editions.
South African Mint – 2025 Range - South African Mint – 2026 Collectable Coin Range
Leopard 2026 and current status of the Series III.
South African Mint – 2026 Range - South African Reserve Bank – Annual Report 2019/20
Primary source for the introduction of the Big Five Platinum Bullion Coin.
South African Reserve Bank – Annual Report 2019/20 - Rand Refinery – Integrated Annual Report 2022
Primary source for the introduction of the 1-oz Big Five bullion coins in gold and platinum.
Rand Refinery – Integrated Annual Report 2022 - Hern’s Handbook / The Coin Catalogue
Numismatic secondary source for cross-checking. In case of discrepancies, the published primary information from the South African Mint takes precedence.
Data as of: September 12, 2026
