The South African Two Cents coin (abbreviated as 2c) was a small circulating coin of the Rand currency. Unlike the other denominations, it was not created at decimalisation on 14 February 1961 - there was a 2½ (two and a half cents) coin instead. This was short-lived though and was discontinued only four years later.
When South Africa introduced its Second Decimal Coinage in 1965, there was a Two Cents denomination in it. This first type of Two Cents was made of bronze and was issued until 1990. The first kind of bronze coins had a portrait of Jan van Riebeeck on the obverse and a legend in one language only; each year, two versions of the coin were issued - one in English and one in Afrikaans; this was also the case with the commemorative issue in 1968. In 1970, the obverse was changed to the Coat of Arms of South Africa with a bilingual legend.
The denomination was changed to a smaller copper-plated steel version issued until 2001, after which time it was discontinued.
2c coins issued in 1982 circulated for eight years until they were replaced with the smaller version.
The 1982 issue commemorates the presidency of Balthazar Johannes Vorster (1915 - 1983) who served as the fourth State President of South Africa from 1978 to 1979. |