Six new coins will come into circulation in the coming weeks here in South Africa, 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 the Republic 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”.
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 (June).
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 (June).
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 ‘Freedom of movement’ 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’ One of the youngest artists on this campaign, Lady Skollie’s artwork represents the famous images of the voting and polling stations displayed throughout the media in 1994.
