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South Africa Takes Home Best Circulating Coin Dated 2020 at 2022 COTY Awards

The South Africa Mint won the best Circulating Coin category at the 2022 Coin of the Year Awards. The winning coin, dated 2020, commemorates 25 years of constitutional democracy in South Africa.

The 2 Rand circulating coin is the last in a collection marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of a Constitutional Democracy in South Africa in 1994. The design was selected via a public competition. As described the South Africa Mint:

The SA25 R2 Coin Design Competition was launched at Latitudes Art Fair in 2019. The public was able to create their own creative interpretation of one of the rights or freedoms contained in the Bill of Rights. They had to choose a right or freedom which was not featured on one of the existing SA25 R2 coins issued in 2019. These designs were evaluated by a panel consisting of both the SA Mint and the SA Reserve Bank. A shortlist of six coin designs was presented to the SA Mint’s design advisory panel on the 15th of November 2019. The panel selected the winning design created by Esta Quirk. The winning design was featured on the R2 circulation coin issued in 2020/2021.

The obverse features the South African coat of arm and the date 2020, as well as the words ‘South Africa’ written in two of the official languages, English (South Africa) and Setswana (Aforika Borwa).

The reverse depicts a mother holding her daughter’s hand, while walking down a path lined on both sides with sunflowers. The image commemorates the “right to freedom and security of the person” as enshrined in the South African Bill of Rights. The daughter is holding a sunflower, which is magical in its ability to move its head towards the sun, resonant of the resilience, optimism and hopefulness of the young.

The nickel-plated copper core coin weighs 5.5 grams and measures 23 millimeters in diameter. Mintage of the circulating coin is 6,120,000.