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South African Coinage · The Rand Era

Decimal coinage.

On 14 February 1961, the rand replaced the pound and South African coinage entered its decimal era. Three series, six decades, and a visual atlas every collector should be able to read at a glance.

1961 — present · Three series · The rand era
The conversion, in plain terms
£1 became R2
10 shillings became R1
1 shilling became 10c
3 pence (the tickey) became 2½c

The arithmetic: 100 cents to the rand · 1 pound = 240 pence = 200 cents · 1 cent = 1.2d.

The three series

In Chronological Order
I 1961 – 1964
The first series

The transition coinage. Same dimensions and silver content as the outgoing pound series — a deliberate decision to ease the changeover. Denominations: ½c, 1c, 2½c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c. Obverse: the Van Riebeeck portrait carried over from Union. The 50c was struck in silver. The Springbok appears on both the silver 50c and the gold R1 and R2 of this period.

II 1965 – 1989
The revised series

Smaller, lighter, and silverless — silver replaced by cupro-nickel. The 2½c gave way to the 2c. Bilingual variants in 1965–1969: each year struck in either Afrikaans-only ("Suid-Afrika") or English-only ("South Africa") versions. In 1970, the Van Riebeeck portrait was retired and replaced by the coat of arms. The R1 began circulating in 1977.

III 1989/90 – present
The third series

Reduced size, modern alloys, new wildlife and floral reverses. The R2 entered circulation in 1989, the R5 in 1994, and the bi-metal R5 in 2004. Multilingual legends rotated in from 1996. From 2002, R1, R2, and R5 carried the country name in two of the official languages. The 1c and 2c ceased minting in 2002; the 5c followed in 2012.

The two sparrows

A Memorial Hidden in Circulation

From the curatorial desk

Why two sparrows on the 1c?

Of all the design choices in South African decimal coinage, the most quietly remarkable is the pair of Cape Sparrows on the 1-cent coin — first struck in 1961, retained through the second series in 1965, and carried into the third series in 1990. For most of the twentieth century, every South African handled this coin without knowing what it commemorated.

The story, as preserved in oral tradition, traces back to the Anglo-Boer War concentration camps of 1899–1902, where Boer women and children were interned under conditions that killed roughly 26,000 of them. After the war, survivors visited the farm Onze Rust near Bloemfontein, the home of Free State President M.T. Steyn and his wife. They lobbied Mrs Steyn that if South Africa ever struck its own coins, two sparrows should appear on the smallest denomination — in remembrance.

The verse they cited was Matthew 10:29, in the Dutch Bible of the time:

"Worden niet twee musjes om een penningsken verkocht? En niet een van deze zal op de aarde vallen zonder uw Vader." — Matthew 10:29 · Dutch translation in circulation at the time

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father." The smallest coin, two small birds, an entire war's grief carried in copper. The 1c with two sparrows was struck for forty-one years across all three series. It is one of the most quietly significant coins in South African numismatics — and most South Africans have never been told what they were holding.

The atlas

Ten  Coin Pairs · Obverse & Reverse
Series I ·

1961 – 1964 · The first series

½ Cent obverse Obverse
½ Cent reverse Reverse
½ Cent
First series · 1961 – 1964
The smallest denomination of the rand. Discontinued in circulation by the 1970s; struck in proof through 1983.
Series II ·

1965 – 1989 · The revised series

1 Cent obverse 1965-1969 Obverse
1 Cent reverse 1965-1969 Reverse
1 Cent
Bilingual era · 1965 – 1969
The two Cape Sparrows. Bilingual variants struck each year — Afrikaans-only or English-only.
2 Cent obverse 1965-1969 Obverse
2 Cent reverse 1965-1969 Reverse
2 Cent
Bilingual era · 1965 – 1969
Replaced the 2½c of the first series. Reverse: the Black Wildebeest, struck through 1990.
5 Cent obverse 1965-1969 Obverse
5 Cent reverse 1965-1969 Reverse
5 Cent
Bilingual era · 1965 – 1969
Reverse: the Blue Crane — South Africa's national bird — first appearing on the 5c.
10 Cent obverse Obverse
10 Cent reverse Reverse
10 Cent
Second series
The decimal heir to the shilling — same conversion ratio. Reverse: the Aloe.
20 Cent obverse Obverse
20 Cent reverse Reverse
20 Cent
Second series
Reverse: the King Protea — South Africa's national flower, retained into the third series.
50 Cent obverse Obverse
50 Cent reverse Reverse
50 Cent
Second series
Reverse: the Strelitzia — Crane Flower or Bird-of-Paradise — joined by the Arum Lily and Blue Agapanthus.
Series III ·

1989/90 – present · The third series

R1 obverse Obverse
R1 reverse Reverse
R1
Third series
The smaller R1 nickel, replacing the larger 1990s issue. Reverse: the Springbok, returning from earlier eras.
R2 obverse Obverse
R2 reverse Reverse
R2
Third series · from 1989
The first circulating R2 — initially nicknamed "the De Klerk." Reverse: the Kudu, replacing the R2 banknote.
R5 obverse Obverse
R5 reverse Reverse
R5
Bi-metal · from 2004
Bi-metal construction introduced 2004. Reverse: the Wildebeest. Carried by numerous commemoratives — Mandela 90th (2008), SARB 90 (2011), Griqua 200 (2015), Tambo (2017), Mandela Centenary (2018), Democracy 25 (2019).

The references

Standard Sources
  • Brian HernHern's Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Patterns & Tokens (annual edition).
  • South African Reserve BankHistory of Banknotes and Coin; Coins reference pages.
  • South African MintOfficial records and series specifications.
  • Currency WikiPer-denomination mintage and metallurgy records.
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