Commemorative coins launched to celebrate 25 years of democracy

The South African Reserve Bank and the South African Mint have launched a number of new circulation coins, celebrating South Africa’s 25 years of Constitutional democracy.

Six new coins will come into circulation in the coming weeks, and there’s a minibus taxi and a bird carrying a set of keys on one of them.

The new coins reflect the quarter-century anniversary of South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

The South African Mint, together with the South African Reserve Bank, said in a statement that the new coins were launched “to reinvigorate national pride”.

Speaking at a launch event on Wednesday (5 June), SARB governor Lesetya Kganyago said that the new circulation coins aim to highlight a few of the rights that resonated the most with citizens that were surveyed in South Africa.

“A banknote is but a piece of paper, and a coin is but a piece of metal,”

The six new commemorative circulation coins are:

• R2 ‘Children’s Rights’, designed by Neo Mahlangu
• R2 ‘Right to Education’, also designed by Mahlangu
• R2 ‘Environmental Rights’, designed by Maaike Bakker
• R2 ‘Right to Movement and Residence’, designed by Rasty Knayles
• R2 ‘Freedom of Religion, Belief and Opinion’, designed by Peter Mammes
• R5 ‘Let us Live and Strive for Freedom’, designed by Lady Skollie

R2 ‘Children’s Rights’

Artist Neo Mahlangu used digital artwork and charcoal to design the Children’s Rights coin. “The coin is intended to capture the essence of joy and engender a sense of nostalgia as we strive to give all children in our nation the right to the equal protection of their civil rights and freedom,” the SA Mint said in a statement.

Release date: this month.

R2 ‘Right to Education’

Also designed by Mahlangu, the coin illustrates education at different levels, from pre-school right up to tertiary qualifications. The basic building block depicts elementary education, an open book for the intermediary learning phase, and a graduation cap for the senior phase.

Release date: this month.

R2 ‘Environmental Rights’

Pretoria-born artist Maaike Bakker used a droplet of water, grass, a fish and more, to highlight the idea of a well-balanced, protected environment. “This coin stands for the right that all South Africans have to access unspoiled natural resources that enable our survival, such as access to water, food and air.”

Release date: July.

R2 ‘Right to Movement and Residence’

Given South Africa’s dark history of segregation and restrictions, artist Rasty Knayles felt that the weaver bird holding a key would be the epitome of what the Freedom of Movement and Residence coin now represents. “Supported by an image of the well-known minibus taxi and an aeroplane, this coin shows that we have the right to freely choose our place of residence, to travel and expect to be welcomed home.”

Release date: July.

R2 ‘Freedom of Religion, Belief and Opinion’

This coin displays the symbol for religion in sign language, which is an image of a hand raised with an open palm. Artist Peter Mammes’ challenge was to depict people, ethnicity, and religion without referring to a specific religion or belief, the SA Mint says.

Release date: August.

R5 ‘Let us Live and Strive for Freedom’

Release date: August

At the launch event, South African Mint MD Tumi Tsehlo said the themes depicted on the new SA25 coins, especially the five R2 coins and the single R5 circulation coin, underpin South Africa’s Constitution and are the prominent rights identified by those born in a democratic South Africa.

The rest of the series includes a R50 bronze alloy coin depicting two interlocking hands, symbolising togetherness, joined in the shape of a cross similar to the mark made on a ballot during the voting process; and a R50 sterling silver coin depicting the image of long voting queues associated with the first democratic election.

Additionally, the series will include a R500 gold coin depicting the Constitutional Court of South Africa, which was designed by Shaun Gaylard.

“I believe we have an excellent set of coins befitting this momentous occasion in our lives, which will also serve to remind us of our rights and responsibilities toward our constitutional democracy,” Tsehlo concluded.

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