South Africa pioneered modern bullion coinage when it first issued the Krugerrand on 3 July 1967 to help market South African gold; it is the first modern bullion coin and is still issued today.
Gradually, the South African Mint started diversifying the range, first by issuing fractional Krugerrands, then by introducing different designs and metals, such as a silver one-ounce (1 oz) format. These include silver 1 oz Krugerrands, the Protea series, the Natura series, as well as one-year types that do not fall into a particular series. Some are made of Sterling silver (92.5%) alloyed with copper, just like the British pre-decimal Crown coins, and some are 99.9% silver. The Sterling versions are overall heavier though, so they also contain exactly one ounce of pure silver or 1oz Absolute Silver Weight (1.000 oz ASW); they are called "Crowns" in the "Crown and Tickey" coin sets in which some of them are issued, and are officially denominated as two, five or ten Rands.
This coin, denominated as Two Rands (R 2) is part of the Crown and Tickey series of South African coins issued with different themes every year by the South African Mint to celebrate South Africa’s history and achievements.
The 2020 Crown and Tickey series features a South African invention that has revolutionised cataract surgery. The retinal cryoprobe was developed by South African ophthalmologist and inventor, Selig Percy Amoils, at the Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa.
The cryoprobe is a pen-like instrument that delivers extremely cold liquid gas, with precision and accuracy. The cryoprobe is inserted into a cut in the eye to deliver a liquid gas , which freezes to a cataract. The cataract (or other unwanted tissue) can then be removed with no risk of destroying healthy adjacent tissue.
It has since found applications in the field of general as well as veterinary medicine. |