1 Lilangeni - Mswati III 2nd portrait, magnetic

Swaziland's shift to brass-plated steel for this denomination was driven by the same commodity price pressures that forced dozens of African central banks to reformulate their coinage in the mid-2000s — rising copper and zinc costs made solid brass circulation strikes increasingly uneconomical. The magnetic core allowed automated sorting and validation in retail and banking equipment without a full redesign of coin-handling infrastructure.

The "2nd portrait" designation marks a formal re-effigy following Mswati III's earlier coinage appearances, a periodic practice tied to royal presentation rather than any change in reign or constitutional standing.