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1 Cent SUID-AFRIKA - SOUTH AFRICA
| Issuer | South African Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970-1989 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cent |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Two Cape Sparrows (Passer melanurus) are depicted perched on bare branches, one facing left in the upper left and one facing right in the lower right, rendered in fine naturalistic detail. The denomination numeral '1' appears prominently in the upper right field, accompanied by the abbreviated currency unit 'c' to its right. The engraver's initials T.S. are incused at the base of the design between the branches. The composition fills the entire field without a surrounding legend, giving prominence to the ornithological motif. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
South Africa's cent coinage of this period was struck throughout the apartheid years, a span during which the country faced escalating international sanctions and growing economic isolation. The bilingual inscription — Afrikaans first, then English — was itself a political act, reflecting the National Party's entrenchment of Afrikaner cultural dominance into every instrument of state, down to the smallest denomination.
Bronze composition remained unchanged even as neighboring states moved to cheaper steel and aluminum cents under currency pressure. The wide Hern reference spread across this series reflects annual die variations and proof-versus-circulation distinctions that make date-by-date attribution essential for serious collectors.