Five Rand 2021 Centenary of SARB, Coin from South Africa - detailed information

The obverse of the coin shows at its centre the Coat of Arms of South Africa, as adopted on Freedom Day 27 April 2000.

The Coat of Arms is a series of elements organised in distinct symmetric egg-like or oval shapes placed on top of one another. The completed structure combines the lower and higher oval shape in a symbol of infinity. The path that connects the lower edge of the scroll, through the lines of the tusks, with the horizon above and the sun rising at the top, forms the shape of the cosmic egg from which the secretary bird rises. In the symbolic sense, this is the implied rebirth of the spirit of the great and heroic nation of South Africa.

The motto in the semicircle around below, ǃKE E꞉ ǀXARRA ǁKE, is written in the Khoisan language of the ǀXam people and translates literally to "diverse people unite".

Below the Coat of Arms, the initials of the engraver: ALS (for Arthur Sutherland).

Around above, the date of issue: · 2021 ·. Around left and around right, the name of the country in two of the eleven official languages of South Africa.

The inscriptions this year are in Xhosa: uMzantsi Afrika, and in Afrikaans: Suid-Afrika.

The reverse design of the coin represents "a journey through some of the most iconic items of currency" issued in South Africa, and consists of the reverses of six South African coins:
- the 1923 threepence is from the time of South Africa’s first union,
- a R1 gold coin containing the image of a proudly South African springbok, first released in 1961,
- a 20 cent coin depicting the king protea - South Africa’s national flower,
- the smallest item of currency, a one-cent coin from 1990, featuring two sparrows,
- a commemorative R5 coin from 2008, issued for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, and
- a 10 cent count from SA’s "fourth decimal series" which carries the image of a Cape honey bee (coins planned for a future release).

In a small circle at centre, the anniversary dates 1921 - 2021.

The initials of the die-sinker (engraver) MJS, for Marthinus J Scheepers, are in the right part of the central circle, to the right of and above the image of the Mandela R5. The right part of the central circle has a background of rays emanating from the centre.

Around above in the outer rim, the inscription SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK · 100 YEARS.

Below left, mostly in in the central circle, is the numeral of the value: 5; around below in the rim, the denomination RAND.

The abbreviation SARB, for South African Reserve Bank (the issuer of the coin) is inscribed three times below left on the rim, and six times below right. It is also repeated multiple times around the outer rim in microtext.