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2 1/2 Shillings - George VI 2 1/2 Shillings, IMPERATOR
| Issuer | South African Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1937-1947 |
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| Composition | Silver (.800) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device comprises the quartered coat of arms of the Union of South Africa surmounted by a large Tudor-style imperial crown. The four quarters of the shield depict: upper left, a female figure with an anchor; upper right, two springboks; lower left, an orange tree; and lower right, a Cape wagon. The date is divided by the shield, with the first two digits to the left and the last two to the right. The bilingual legend SOUTH·AFRICA SUID·AFRIKA arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 2 1/2 SHILLINGS appears at the base. The engraver's initials KG are visible below the shield, and ornamental devices flank the lower legend. A beaded border frames the design. |
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| Mint | South African Mint, Pretoria |
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| Additional information |
South Africa's 2½ Shillings denomination was a direct inheritance from the pre-Union coinage structure, an awkward fraction that persisted largely because it equaled one-eighth of a pound sterling and thus kept the arithmetic of trade tidy. George VI's accession in December 1936 — following his brother's abdication — triggered a rapid redesign of all Commonwealth coinage, and South African dies were prepared under considerable time pressure for the 1937 issue.
The IMPERATOR title on these coins was dropped after 1948, when Indian independence made "Emperor of India" untenable. The 1947 date is consequently the last for this title across all South African silver.