On Saturday, a non-fungible token (NFT) made from apartheid struggle icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela’s original arrest warrant – which sent the statesmen away to prison for 27 years – has been sold in a South African auction to the tune of $130K (R1.9-million).
According to Momint, the hosts of the NFT auction, some of the proceeds of the sale will be going to Liliesleaf Farm and Museum, a national heritage site in South Africa.
“The event was a remarkable success, demonstrating the potential of the rise of blockchain technology to open a gateway to global markets for South Africa’s arts and culture industries,” reads an announcement from Momint.
The original 1961 Warrant of Arrest for Nelson Mandela, specially minted 61 years after it was first issued was the most anticipated piece of the auction.
The warrant, which had a reserve price of $100,000 (R1,5 million), was sold for $130,000 (R1,9 million). “This is a remarkable outcome for Liliesleaf which, despite its national importance, has experienced significant financial constraints in recent years,” Momint says.
While the warrant NFT was the most anticipated piece of the auction, the highest bid of the night went to a Bored Ape token – titled “Hugh Apener” – which sold for $287K (R4.2-million), with a second Bored Ape token selling for $68.4K (R1-million) afterward.
Nine art pieces in total sold for between $3762 and $17,100, while a token minted to raised funds for South African NPO Fight Back SA sold for $6,160, exceeding the reserve price.
Momint to Continue Pushing for NFTs in Africa
Momint, an Africa-based company that provides a social marketplace for NFTs, says it “is proud to be leading the continent in opening this new channel for South Africa’s arts and culture to reach global markets and funding,” according to the announcement.
The success of the event, just four months after Momint first hosted one of Africa’s largest NFT auctions in November 2021, demonstrates the appetite and enthusiasm for South African digital art and artefacts, the company says.
At its November event, Momint auctioned off an NFT digital image made from the spy pen-gun of another apartheid struggle legend, OR Tambo. The company seems set on turning more South African historical artefacts into NFTs and auctioning them off.
Time will see what next momento from the country’s troubled past will spring up in auction as a non-fungible token.
Edited by Luis Monzon
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