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50 Rand Mandela Birth Centenary
| Issuer | South African Reserve Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
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| Printer | South African Bank Note Company, Pretoria, South Africa (1958) |
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| Obverse description | A large intaglio portrait of Nelson Mandela occupies the right-centre of the note, set against a red and orange guilloche underprint with San rock art figures along the lower left margin. The bank title SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK is inscribed across the top, with the national coat of arms at upper left, the Governor's signature below, and the denomination numeral 50 in large figures at lower left and lower right. A vertical security strip carrying the SARB logo runs through the centre, with the commemorative legend MANDELA CENTENARY 1918–2018 and the inscription FIFTY RAND along the right margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A youthful portrait of Nelson Mandela in traditional Xhosa attire is positioned at left, identified by the italic inscription MADIBA, while an intaglio vignette of Howick Falls occupies the right field, captioned HOWICK. The denomination numeral 50 appears in large figures at lower centre against a background of San rock art motifs and geometric guilloche patterns. The Xhosa bank title iBHANKI ENGUVIMBA YOMZANTSI AFRIKA is inscribed at the top, the Venda title BANNGA YA VHUKATI YA AFRIKA TSHIPEMBE at the bottom, and the vertical commemorative legend MANDELA CENTENARY 1918–2018 along the right margin. |
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| Comments |
The South African Reserve Bank issued this note in 2018 to mark the centenary of Nelson Mandela's birth on 18 July 1918. It is a commemorative issue but was produced as legal tender rather than a collector-only item, meaning it entered general circulation alongside standard issues — a deliberate policy choice to keep the centenary accessible rather than purely ceremonial.
Signed by Lesetja Kganyago, who has served as SARB Governor since 2014, this issue predates the polymer transition that the Bank later introduced for the Mandela series in 2023.