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The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has announced that from January 1, 2021, you should look out for a new R5 coin.

Hey, it’s not the most exciting news, but we have to hold on to the little things right now. Think of it as the currency version of Pokémon GO – gotta catch ’em all.

The new coins will celebrate the bank’s centenary and will feature some of the historic coins previously issued by the SARB in miniature.

This, says Cape Town ETC, will include a tiny laughing Mandela R5, an old one-cent coin featuring two sparrows, as well as old 10-cent and 20-cent coins.

These will be linked to each other showing the SARB’s 100 years in business from 1921 to 2021.

The reverse of the coin will feature South Africa’s traditional coat of arms and the country’s name in two official languages, “uMzantsi Afrika” and “Suid-Afrika”.

Image: South African Reserve Bank

There will be one coin for general circulation, and another collector’s edition in sterling silver with gold plating.

Image: South African Reserve Bank

The collector’s edition will be half the size of the regular coin and its obverse will feature the country’s name in 10 languages.

You might need a magnifying glass to truly appreciate it.

Last year, we were treated to a number of new circulation coins, celebrating South Africa’s 25 years of Constitutional democracy, which were pretty cool.

Most of us aren’t carrying cash at the moment.

We’ve been living that tap-and-go life, but it might be worth breaking a R20 next year to see if your change has changed.

[source:capetownetc]