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2 1/2 Shillings - George V 2 1/2 Shillings, ZUID-AFRIKA
| Issuer | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926-1930 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 21/2 Shillings (1/8) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The central device features the quartered coat of arms of the Union of South Africa, surmounted by a Tudor crown, with the four quarters depicting a figure with an anchor, a leaping springbok, an orange tree, and a wagon — representing the four founding provinces. The date is divided by the shield, with the left two digits flanking the left side and the right two digits the right. The bilingual legend SOUTH AFRICA ZUID-AFRIKA arcs around the upper periphery, and the denomination 2 1/2 SHILLINGS appears along the lower arc. Small decorative rosettes flank the shield at lower left and right, and the engraver's initials K G are visible on the shield base. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
South Africa's 1920s silver coinage was produced at the Pretoria Mint, which had opened in 1923 — the first mint on the African continent operated by a British dominion. The bilingual inscription on these coins was a political flashpoint; Afrikaner nationalists had been pushing since Union in 1910 for equal standing with English, and the "SUID-AFRIKA / SOUTH AFRICA" compromise on coinage was hard-won. The .800 fineness was a deliberate step down from sterling, adopted to reduce bullion costs as silver prices climbed after the First World War.