South Africa Issues New Coin Series

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has issued a new coin series, which is the fourth series since decimalisation in 1961 and the first coin redesign in 34 years. The coins have been designed and produced by the South African Mint, and feature various updates including composition, design and security features.

‘Deep Ecology’ is the theme for the new series, which the Mint has said ‘celebrates the interconnectedness of humans and other living organisms as an integral part of the environment’.

As with the previous coin series, all of South Africa’s 11 official languages are used on the new coins. On the R1, only one language is included, while three languages appear on the R5 coin and two on the R2, 50c, 20c and 10c coins. To ensure the use of all 11 languages, the coins will be minted over a set period on a rotational system basis. Over the next 10 years, the languages will be alternated annually.