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About City Coins

Since January 1967, the year the first Krugerrand was minted, City Coins has traded from Tulbagh Square, founded and still run by the Jaffe family. We understand history and legacy. We understand our business. And we are here to help.

With an extensive network, we buy and sell on behalf of some of the biggest collectors and dealers in the world – bearing testament to our exceptional service and years of experience in the trade.

CAPE TOWN'S MOST ESTABLISHED COIN DEALER

The Family Business You Can Trust

Unparalleled Service

We won’t hesitate to come visit you in your home or even hop on a plane. We are experts in our field, and have helped build some of the world’s most impressive collections. We’re in the best possible position to guide you towards making the right decisions, regardless of whether you are buying to invest or collect, or looking to sell.

Industry Leaders

Over the years, we have maintained our position at the top with the first to publish a book including photo grading imagery, a collectors’ requirements pamphlet for enthusiasts and an auction catalogue, which is now globally considered a work of reference, not to mention a work of art. 

INTERNATIONAL REACH

Our dedication, passion and unparalleled service have earned us international recognition, culminating in being the only South African representative of Noonans Mayfair, the prestigious Londonauction house. We have their experts on hand plus their international auction sales platform to leverage for our clients.

Meet our Management

Sharon Jaffe brings to the table almost 30 years of international business experience specialising in sales and marketing. She has grown up in City Coins accompanying her mom Natalie to the shop on Saturday mornings and later on business trips.

Since taking over the business, she teamed up with Doron Duveen, a former  client of City Coins and close friend of the family. Together they have formed a formidable team. Dedicated not only to preserving and continuing this special business, but also growing it by exploring new avenues aided by technology and the ever-changing needs of collector’s worldwide. 

Doron hails from the restaurant business, with decades of experience and achieved significant success through his hard work, tenacity and resilience. He brings his operational excellence to the table along with his boundless energy and passion for coins! His close ties with the family have ensured that there is a continuation of the trust that City Coins holds dear with its customers.

A LOOK BACK ON 60 YEARS

1967

Allen Jaffe committed to pursue his ever-growing love of numismatics (coins). He was introduced by his father to coins on Cape Town’s Grand Parade market where the family had a trading stall in tools. Allen later leveraged all his savings to buy (and sell) his first coin and the spark was turned into a flame!

1969

Natalie and Allen set up the shop in Tulbagh square, working side by side, and marrying in 1969.  She gave birth to her first 2 children, Joseph and Sharon while Allen grew the business . The business grew, and Allen published the first South African Coin collector’s handbook. He later brought out the first of many postal medal auctions

1970

Allen publishes the first coin collectors guide of its kind in South Africa. Later, several editions were printed. This guide was used by the entire South African numismatic community. For the first time, it is now available for download.

1975

Tragedy struck on May 16, 1975 when Allen was killed in a freak powerboating accident while Natalie was 6 months pregnant with her third child. She single handedly took over the shop despite also being hearing-impaired.

1976

Natalie worked tirelessly at growing the business and raising 3 children. She later became President of SANS (South African Numismatic Society) and is attributed to having raised the standard of the entire numismatic industry in South Africa during her lifetime.

2017

City Coins celebrates 50 years coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand!

2020

On the passing of Bill Hibbard, City Coins’ medal specialist, she ventured into the field of medals securing some of the most significant collections. 

Natalie took the business international with a partnership with Spink & Son in London and then later with Noonans. 

2023

Natalie was devoted to City Coins and achieved her final wish of bringing out a Postal Medal Auction No 72 in November 2022. She passed away only 2 months later. On her passing in January 2023, Natalie’s daughter Sharon took over the reins. Sharon worked closely with her mother during the last few years of her illness in particular. On her passing, she carried on running City Coins, partnering with Doron Duveen (her other ‘brother’) to help continue the Jaffe family legacy.

City Coins held memorial champagne drinks in Natalie’s honour at the November Cape Town Coin Show. Sharon presented the newly created Natalie Jaffe award for best exhibit.

1967

Allen Jaffe committed to pursue his ever-growing love of numismatics (coins). He was introduced by his father to coins on Cape Town’s Grand Parade market where the family had a trading stall in tools. Allen later leveraged all his savings to buy (and sell) his first coin and the spark was turned into a flame!

1970

Allen publishes the first coin collectors guide of its kind in South Africa. Later, several editions were printed. This guide was used by the entire South African numismatic community. For the first time, it is now available for download.

1976

Natalie worked tirelessly at growing the business and raising 3 children. She later became President of SANS (South African Numismatic Society) and is attributed to having raised the standard of the entire numismatic industry in South Africa during her lifetime.

2020

On the passing of Bill Hibbard, City Coins’ medal specialist, she ventured into the field of medals securing some of the most significant collections. 

Natalie took the business international with a partnership with Spink & Son in London and then later with Noonans. 

1969

Natalie and Allen set up the shop in Tulbagh square, working side by side, and marrying in 1969.  She gave birth to her first 2 children, Joseph and Sharon while Allen grew the business. The business grew, and Allen published the first South African Coin collector’s handbook. He later brought out the first of many postal medal auctions

1975

Tragedy struck on May 16, 1975 when Allen was killed in a freak powerboating accident while Natalie was 6 months pregnant with her third child. She single handedly took over the shop despite also being hearing-impaired.

2017

City Coins celebrates 50 years coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand!

2023

Natalie was devoted to City Coins and achieved her final wish of bringing out a Postal Medal Auction No 72 in November 2022. She passed away only 2 months later. On her passing in January 2023, Natalie’s daughter Sharon took over the reins. Sharon worked closely with her mother during the last few years of her illness in particular. On her passing, she carried on running City Coins, partnering with Doron Duveen (her other ‘brother’) to help continue the Jaffe family legacy.

City Coins held memorial champagne drinks in Natalie’s honour at the November Cape Town Coin Show. Sharon presented the newly created Natalie Jaffe award for best exhibit.

FAQs

Please take a look through our FAQs before getting in touch.

Whether normal or commemorative, the circulation R5 coin is worth its face value only, which is R5.

Whether normal or commemorative, the circulation R5 coin is worth its face value only, which is R5.

We work by appointment only.  Please contact us via telephone or email to arrange.

This question is asked numerous times a day.

If you are referring to old SA / foreign circulated currency, the following applies.

Provide us with a list of each of your coins via email.

The list should consist of country, year and face value (the value which appears on the face of the coin).  Include two photographs (obverse and reverse) of five of your coins.  If your collection contains coins of value to us, we will contact you to arrange an appointment.

Since banknotes are made of paper and not precious metal, we very much focus on the condition of the banknote. If it’s been crumbled, torn, used or stuck and is a modern note, then unfortunately it is of no interest to us. Sometimes very used old notes still have a value due to their rarity. If you’re not sure, then get in touch.

Yes we can.  Based on a list of your medals and the accompanying documentation (referred to as provenance) we can determine whether these are suitable for our upcoming medal auction or perhaps are more suitably sold on auction with our UK partner, Noonans.

We are often listed in wills to look at estates due to our involvement in building up the collections in the first place. This has established a foundation of trust and we are then most familiar with the items in the collection. However, even if we do not know the collection we can give the required valuation at the time of death.

No we do not, but we do work with esteemed partners in the industry who we recommend. We do on occasion take in jewellery and watches but on a case-by-case basis.

The gold price fluctuates constantly.  We fix our buying in and selling prices by 9:30am Monday to Friday.

Request, via email, our selling price. We will provide you, via email, with the price and our banking details.  Should you accept our price, proof of payment must be emailed to us by close of business the same day.  Once your payment is reflected in our account, we will contact you to arrange an appointment to collect your Krugerrands.  You will be required to produce your SA ID / driver’s licence or International passport on collection.

An appointment will need to be arranged.  You will need to bring along the Krugerrands, your SA ID / driver’s licence or foreign passport as well as your banking details.  We will process an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and provide you with proof thereof, before leaving.  Should you require an immediate transfer, let us know before the payment is processed.

There is NO VAT on Gold Krugerrands.  According to SARS “gold coins issued by the South African Reserve Bank in accordance with section 14 of the South African Reserve Bank Act 90 of 1989 (or that remain in circulation per provision (1) of that section) will not be regarded as second-hand goods. These coins include Kruger Rands and gold coins in the National Geographic, Natura, Protea and R1 series as well as any other gold coins declared by the Ministry of Finance to be legal tender”

There is VAT on silver Krugerrands. However, silver is still a worthwhile investment, especially where smaller investment amounts are available.

There is no difference in value as the value is determined by the content of the gold. Sometimes, if the coin is in an excellent condition in a box, it makes a nice gift and especially if the date is a birth date.

Discover our Online Store

Visit our online store, where you’ll find a curated collection of coins and pendants. Browse through our quality products, and find your next favourite piece.

Get in Touch

We’re here to help. Simply fill in the form below so we can help you further.
Please click the boxes below to acknowledge that you understand the following:
Please upload clear front and back images of items you wish to sell.

Medals

City Coins has achieved global recognition for  South African war medals with a worldwide customer base eagerly following our medal auctions.

The market for war medals and decorations has been popular for decades. Medals can be collected according to a specific battle, rebellion or conflict. Sometimes people simply prefer to collect medals that appeal to them aesthetically. 

A lot of the time, however, people keep medals because they form emotional attachments to them. This is especially true for South Africans and Britons with family members who received the Queens South Africa (QSA) medal for fighting in the Boer War. Although some might feel attached to medals and want to hang onto them, sometimes the memory of the recipient is better served in the collection of someone who will really cherish the medal and appreciate its history.

Perhaps you have war medals or decorations that have been passed down from generation to generation through your family? If you would like to find out more about your medals or how much they are worth, please get in touch. If you have medals for sale, we can give you all the advice you need in order to evaluate and sell them.

Bank Notes

While the world of money transitions into an era devoid of paper with cryptocurrency and NFT, banknotes have become even more rare and popular. 

 

Our banknotes range from the famous Siege of Mafeking to the South African notes from Governors of The Reserve Bank. We have rare notes and specimens.

The American Gold Eagle and South African Krugerrand bullion coins, for instance, are made up of .9167 fine gold, thus making them 22-karat. But they still contain one troy ounce of gold – which is why they weigh 1.0909 troy ounces overall. The added alloy creates a more durable coin.

The spot gold price is simply the current market price of gold at which traders can perform over-the-counter trades with each other. It is the cost of one troy ounce of gold, and the greater the price, the higher the demand.

We are an authorised dealer of The Rand Refinery and The South African Mint. We deal in all types of gold and silver Krugerrands as well as special Krugerrand sets and commemorative Krugerrands. We have a large collection of the “Natura” sets issued over the years by the SA Mint and no longer in production (so very rare!).

Krugerrands

Gold purity tends to be measured by karats – abbreviated “kt” – with 24-karat gold designated as 0.999 fine or above. Pure gold fineness would be 1.000; however, the softness of gold would make such coins impractical to use, so 0.999 fine and above is considered pure gold. These coins contain only the most minuscule amount of another metal – or ‘alloy’ – needed to make them tradable. 

The American Gold Eagle and South African Krugerrand bullion coins, for instance, are made up of .9167 fine gold, thus making them 22-karat. But they still contain one troy ounce of gold – which is why they weigh 1.0909 troy ounces overall. The added alloy creates a more durable coin.

The spot gold price is simply the current market price of gold at which traders can perform over-the-counter trades with each other. It is the cost of one troy ounce of gold, and the greater the price, the higher the demand.

We are an authorised dealer of The Rand Refinery and The South African Mint. We deal in all types of gold and silver Krugerrands as well as special Krugerrand sets and commemorative Krugerrands. We have a large collection of the “Natura” sets issued over the years by the SA Mint and no longer in production (so very rare!).

Coins

We specialise in South African coins either of rarity (graded or potential)  or commemorative value. Many old South African coins contain gold/silver and are rare, like the famous Veld pond and 1931 Tickey.  

We also deal with international coins, and have a global clientele and network through Noonans Mayfair which we can leverage for our customers.