FORTUNE hunters in South Africa will be able to dig for gold coins next month on a farm where about 16,000 coins have been found and thousands more could be left, a local official said on Tuesday. “The dig will be a proper gold rush on a first come, first serve basis, no claims will be staked. Thousands of gold coins are believed to be left on the farm,” said Athol Stark, town councillor for the Ermelo area where the farm is located. The gold coins are said to be worth as much as R25,000 ($3,000) each to “the big buyers in New York City” but diggers would only get five percent of any coins they uncovered, Stark said. Strangers with metal detectors and telescopes have already invaded the area, he said. The coins are believed to be a portion of the “Kruger millions” — gold pounds hidden by or on behalf of Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic in 1883. – AFP