South African Mint 2009 Coins

Natanya van Niekerk, Deputy General Manager of the South African Mint Company (Pty) Ltd, presented the SA Mint lineup for 2009, with flair and a good sense of humor. With all its natural resources, South Africa presents a wealth of material for coin design, allowing for a depth and variety that excites the imagination.

South Africa’s Natura series, which originated in 1994, continues this year by honoring the White Rhinoceros. Conservation efforts in South Africa have brought the White Rhino back in significant numbers to a current population of about 10,000. Each gold coin in the series depicts an element of the White Rhino’s life. The 2009 Kruggerand gold one once and

fractionals celebrate the 110th Anniversary of Kruger National Park this year.

But it is the Protea series issues for 2009, which will really cause a stir for collectors. You may have read about this National Anthem commemorative in last months World Coin News, but in case you missed it, here are the details. This coin features a yin-yang layout with portraits of each artist responsible for the origins of the current unified South African National Anthem. Down the middle on the curve are the notes of the first bars of the Anthem. The symbolism is great, the theme is emotional and the design is so eye catching that most folks who see this coin will probably want to add it to their collection.

The Peace Park series was started two years ago with a goal of removing the fences that limit animal migration. Three silver issues will be done in 2009, with denominations of 10, 20 and 50 cents, all featuring images form the project areas. This series, along with the popular UNESCO World Heritage coins in 1 and 2 Rand are great examples of organic thinking in coin design. The World Heritage coin series is the product of a design contest and this year’s winner features the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape.