South African Reserve Bank subsidiary South African Mint Company (SA Mint) has launched an “SA25 – Celebrating South Africa” coin series, which commemorates the rights and freedoms espoused by the country’s Constitution.

This week, 25 years ago, South Africa held its first democratic elections.

The SA Mint is issuing the new collectable coins in base metals, sterling silver and pure gold.

“It is our most democratic coin thematically. The design ideas came from those born in a free South Africa, in response to what freedom meant to them. We worked with many young and talented artists to bring the vivid imagery of a constitutional democracy to life,” says SA Mint MD Tumi Tsehlo.

The highest court in South Africa, born of the country’s first democratic Constitution in 1994, features prominently on the reverse of the R500 pure-gold coin, which depicts the building that houses the Constitutional Court, including the detail of the beautiful door which has the 27 constitutional rights engraved in its wood, as well as the popular skyline of Johannesburg in the background.

Designed by architect Shaun Gaylard, the coin’s reverse is inspired by the interaction between the building, its inhabitants and its visitors. This coin will be available in May.

The reverse of the R50 sterling silver collectable coin features the constitutional democracy in action, symbolised by a line of people queuing to vote as they did on April 27, 1994, in the first democratic elections in South Africa.

The snake-like qualities of the queue of people running into the distance was the primary motivation for the design by Lady Skollie, also known as Laura Windvogel, who drew inspiration from Khoisan rock paintings and the element of waiting in a queue for a better tomorrow.

“We, the people of South Africa” is the theme for the R50 bronze alloy coin, and these words feature prominently on the reverse of the coin by designer Peter Mammes.

The line is the preamble of the Constitution of South Africa. The two joined hands symbolising togetherness also depict people, ethnicity and religion. The detail in the pattern of the crosses draws attention to the ‘mark’ that voters make on the ballot paper.

Durban-based Garth Walker designed the font which appears on all the coins in the series. He combined all the documented lettering, redrawing it as a unicase family. The original letter forms, within reason, accurately reflect apartheid-era prisoner hand-lettering, graffiti and prison authority signage.

Over time, the font came to be referred to as “the face of a nation”. It was first used by the Constitutional Court on the outside of the actual building and subsequently across a variety of applications.

The bronze alloy and silver coins are available and can be purchased at SA Mint’s retail store in Centurion or through the various mall activations that the SA Mint will host throughout the country.

The public is invited to visit the SA Mint stand at the Sandton City Mall on April 26 to 28 to be among the first to get these coins.