Rare gold coins returned to the State by Limerick garda

A GARDA sergeant made a police property application to return rare gold coins to the State.

Sergeant Damien Holian told Kilmallock Court that in 2011 he stopped a car while on mobile patrol.

“A number of coins were found in the vehicle. They were hidden in the car. Nobody has claimed the coins,” said Sgt Holian.

He said he had carried out extensive enquiries but has been unable to locate the owners since 2011 so applied to return them to the State.

They are six sold gold South Africans Krugers from 1910 and one American 10 dollar gold coin.

The South African coins are very rare. A search of the internet proved fruitless. They are named after President Paul Kruger.

The year the coins were issued - 1910 - would make them more valuable. The Union of South Africa came into being in 1910 with the unification of four previously separate British colonies, the Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal Colony and the Orange River Colony. The Union came to an end in 1961 when South Africa left the Commonwealth and became a republic.  

The value of these six Krugers must run in to the thousands of euros.

While, the one American 10 dollar gold coin, known as an Eagle, was in its era an extremely high face-value coin. It  did not enjoy as wide a circulation as pennies, nickels and dimes of the period.

That said, $10 Liberty Gold coins were popular both when they were in circulation and among collectors today. Presently, coin collectors eagerly seek these coins as their availability dwindles.

Judge O’Leary granted Sgt Holian’s application and the coins will be returned to the State.