Twenty Cents 1981, Coin from South Africa

Twenty Cents 1981, Coin from South Africa (withdrawn 1991)

Coin	Twenty Cents 1981

The South African Twenty Cents coin (abbreviated as 20c) is a small circulating coin of the Rand currency. It was introduced when the currency was decimalised in 1961 and replaced the earlier pre-decimal two shillings coin, retaining its design, dimensions and metal content.

The silver version of the Twenty Cents was only issued for four years though. In 1965, the Second Decimal Series was introduced, in which the Twenty Cents denomination was made of nickel.

The obverse showed a portrait of Jan van Riebeeck until 1969, with the legend in one language only - either English or Afrikaans, with both versions issued every year. It was then changed to have the Coat of Arms of South Africa, with a bilingual legend. The obverse was re-engraved in 1984, so carries a new engraver's signature after that. Apart from the regular designs, there were also four commemorative issues with different obverses.

The denomination was changed to a smaller bronze-plated steel version with the Third Decimal Series in 1990. Thus, 20 cent coins issued in 1981 circulated for ten years until they were replaced with the steel version.

Mint	South African Mint	Mint Mark	No mint mark	Total Mintage	8,544,000 (8.5 million)

Obverse

The obverse of the coin displays the Coat of Arms of South Africa at its centre, as granted to the Union of South Africa by King George V and later amended by the British College of Arms. It contains representation of the four provinces within the Union.

The Coat of Arms features a shield quartered, each quarter a symbol of one of the four provinces of South Africa. An ox wagon represents Transvaal Province, a woman with an anchor represents Cape Province, two wildebeests represent Natal Province and an orange tree represents the Orange Free State Province. The crest of the arms features a lion holding four bound sticks. The supporters are a springbok and a gemsbok. Below the arms, the Latin motto, EX UNITATE VIRES (translated at first as "Union Is Strength", but from 1961 translated as "Unity Is Strength").

Around left, the name of the country in Afrikaans: SUID-AFRIKA; around right, the name in English: SOUTH AFRICA.

Below, the date of issue: * 1981 *.

Below the Coat of Arms on the right side, in small letters the initials of the designer T.S. (for Tommy Sasseen).

Obverse Inscription	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1981 *

Reverse

The reverse of the coin depicts a Royal Protea, South Africa's national flower, with sprigs.

To the left, the numeral value 20 (Twenty Cents).

Below right, the initials of the designer T.S. (for Tommy Sasseen).

Reverse Inscription	20

Edge	Plain	Edge Inscription	None

Twenty Cents 1981: Known varieties

Variety	Proof
Mintage	Issued: 10,000 (included in total)

All (70) coins of type: Twenty Cents

Coin Name	Mintage	Symbol	Legend
Twenty Cents 1961	2,961,530	Jan van Riebeeck (facing)	UNITY IS STRENGTH * EENDRAG MAAK MAG *
Twenty Cents 1962	3,571,844	Jan van Riebeeck (facing)	UNITY IS STRENGTH * EENDRAG MAAK MAG *
Twenty Cents 1963	4,384,025	Jan van Riebeeck (facing)	UNITY IS STRENGTH * EENDRAG MAAK MAG *
Twenty Cents 1964	4,351,000	Jan van Riebeeck (facing)	UNITY IS STRENGTH * EENDRAG MAAK MAG *
Twenty Cents 1965 (English)	29,235,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SOUTH AFRICA 1965
Twenty Cents 1965 (Afrikaans)	29,210,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SUID-AFRIKA 1965
Twenty Cents 1966 (English)	4,049,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SOUTH AFRICA 1966
Twenty Cents 1966 (Afrikaans)	4,074,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SUID-AFRIKA 1966
Twenty Cents 1967 (English)	58,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SOUTH AFRICA 1967
Twenty Cents 1967 (Afrikaans)	83,000	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SUID-AFRIKA 1967
Twenty Cents 1968 Swart (English)	75,000		SOUTH AFRICA 1968
Twenty Cents 1968 Swart (Afrikaans)	75,000		SUID-AFRIKA 1968
Twenty Cents 1969 (English)	9,952	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SOUTH AFRICA 1969
Twenty Cents 1969 (Afrikaans)	21,952	Jan van Riebeeck (right)	SUID-AFRIKA 1969
Twenty Cents 1970	24,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1970 *
Twenty Cents 1971	5,905,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1971 *
Twenty Cents 1972	9,079,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1972 *
Twenty Cents 1973	31,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1973 *
Twenty Cents 1974	2,451,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1974 *
Twenty Cents 1975	13,000,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1975 *
Twenty Cents 1976 Fouché	18,847,000		SUID-AFRIKA SOUTH AFRICA * 1976 *
Twenty Cents 1977	30,669,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1977 *
Twenty Cents 1978	10,068,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1978 *
Twenty Cents 1979 Diederichs	5,047,000		SUID-AFRIKA SOUTH AFRICA * 1979 *
Twenty Cents 1980	13,350,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1980 *
Twenty Cents 1981	8,544,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1981 *
Twenty Cents 1982 Vorster	18,095,000		SUID-AFRIKA SOUTH AFRICA * 1982 *
Twenty Cents 1983	25,681,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1983 *
Twenty Cents 1984	31,618,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1984 *
Twenty Cents 1985	29,338,859	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1985 *
Twenty Cents 1986	11,415,100	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1986 *
Twenty Cents 1987	36,910,781	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1987 *
Twenty Cents 1988	43,122,250	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1988 *
Twenty Cents 1989	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1989 *
Twenty Cents 1990 (Nickel)	98,512,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SUID-AFRIKA * SOUTH AFRICA * 1990 *
Twenty Cents 1990 (Steel)	44,938	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1990
Twenty Cents 1991	53,600	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1991
Twenty Cents 1992	21,025,350	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1990
Twenty Cents 1993	134,018,692	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1993
Twenty Cents 1994	145,012,590	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1995
Twenty Cents 1995	108,014,293	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	SOUTH AFRICA * SUID-AFRIKA 1995
Twenty Cents 1996	91,016,503	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	AFERIKA BORWA 1996
Twenty Cents 1997	116,011,111	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	AFERIKA BORWA 1997
Twenty Cents 1998	25,007,538	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	AFERIKA BORWA 1998
Twenty Cents 1999	16,009,299	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	AFERIKA BORWA 1999
Twenty Cents 2000 (Old CoA)	22,011,470	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910	AFERIKA BORWA 2000
Twenty Cents 2000 (New CoA)	22,000,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa	AFERIKA BORWA 2000
Twenty Cents 2001	21,003,678	Coat of Arms of South Africa	AFERIKA BORWA 2001
Twenty Cents 2002	42,003,250	Coat of Arms of South Africa	South Africa 2002
Twenty Cents 2003	56,002,909	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Aforika Borwa 2003
Twenty Cents 2004	113,031,935	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afrika Borwa 2004
Twenty Cents 2005	57,681,944	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Suid-Afrika 2005
Twenty Cents 2006	38,081,637	Coat of Arms of South Africa	uMzantsi Afrika 2006
Twenty Cents 2007	139,359,280	Coat of Arms of South Africa	iNingizimu Afrika 2007
Twenty Cents 2008	251,482,563	Coat of Arms of South Africa	iSewula Afrika 2008
Twenty Cents 2009	65,240,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afurika Tshipembe 2009
Twenty Cents 2010	125,160,000	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Ningizimu Afrika 2010
Twenty Cents 2011	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afrika-Dzonga 2011
Twenty Cents 2012	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afurika Tshipembe 2012
Twenty Cents 2013	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Ningizimu Afrika 2013
Twenty Cents 2014	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afrika-Dzonga 2014
Twenty Cents 2015	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	South Africa 2015
Twenty Cents 2016	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Aforika Borwa 2016
Twenty Cents 2017	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afrika Borwa 2017
Twenty Cents 2018	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Suid-Afrika 2018
Twenty Cents 2019	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	uMzantsi Afrika 2019
Twenty Cents 2020	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	iNingizimu Afrika 2020
Twenty Cents 2021	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	iSewula Afrika 2021
Twenty Cents 2022	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	Afurika Tshipembe 2022
Twenty Cents 2023	unknown	Coat of Arms of South Africa	SOUTH AFRICA 2023 SUID-AFRIKA

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Twenty Cents 1981: Details

Country	South Africa
Currency	Rand
Coin Type	Twenty Cents, Nickel
Issued	1981
Symbol	Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910
Face Value	20 (x Rand)
Circulation Mintage	8,534,000 (8.5 million)
Total Mintage	8,544,000 (8.5 million)
Current	No; withdrawn 1991
Material	Nickel
Designer	Tommy Sasseen
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size	24.2000 mm
Thickness	1.8400 mm
Mass	6.0000 g
OCC ID	WMRA-EQPC-QBPG-OYPL

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Twenty Cents 1981: Photos

Image	Details
	Coin, South Africa, 20 Cents 1981 Copyright: NumisCorner.com Source
	Coin, South Africa, 20 Cents 1981 Copyright: NumisCorner.com Source

Twenty Cents 1981: Catalogue Reference IDs

Source	Reference ID
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	South Africa KM# 86
Hern's Handbook on South African Coins and Patterns	Hern# D176
Schön, Weltmünzkatalog	Schön# 125

Relevant Links

20 Cents (SUID-AFRIKA - SOUTH AFRICA) - South Africa – Numista

Twenty Cents 1981, Coin from South Africa - detailed information