South Africa's post-apartheid coinage underwent a quiet but significant revision in the mid-2000s, when rising copper prices made the existing alloy compositions economically unsustainable for small denominations. The switch to copper-plated steel for the 5 cent piece was part of that cost-cutting response, mirroring similar moves by mints across the Commonwealth during the same period.
South Africa's post-apartheid coinage underwent a quiet but significant revision in the mid-2000s, when rising copper prices made the existing alloy compositions economically unsustainable for small denominations. The switch to copper-plated steel for the 5 cent piece was part of that cost-cutting response, mirroring similar moves by mints across the Commonwealth during the same period.