Maritime History of South Africa

In 2009, a new theme called "Maritime History of South Africa" began. Although ancient Egyptian and Roman coins have been found on South African beaches from assumed shipwrecks, the first documented voyagers of note to use the route to the East around the Cape, were the Portuguese navigators, Bartholomew Dias and Vasco da Gama (1497) and later Jan van Riebeeck from the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in April 1652.

The sterling silver Tickey (2½c) depicts the São Gabriel in which Vasco da Gama sailed around the Cape. This carrack or nao (ship) was a fusion between Mediterranean and Northern European-style ships. The Portuguese and Spanish developed this particular type of ship for trading purposes because it had a wide and deep hull that allowed for bulk cargo. The carrack with its unique sail configuration was cheaper to crew, more stable on the open ocean, could carry more men and food and therefore the favourite choice of the ocean-going explorers. Also included in the coin's design is the route map of this perilous Portuguese 4-ship expedition to the Far East of which only two ships limped back to Portugal two years later.

The sterling silver R2 Crown depicts the merchant ship Drommedaris in which Jan van Riebeeck set off from the Netherlands in December 1651 to establish a halfway station in the Cape of Good Hope (formally The Cape of Storms). At the Cape the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships could replenish their water and food supplies on their way to and from the Far East. The expedition consisted of five ships: the Drommedaris, the Reijger, the De Goede Hoop, the Walvisch and the Oliphant. The coin design includes the expedition's route map to the Cape of Good Hope. The Drommedaris arrived at Table Bay on 6 April 1652.

2 ½ c Tickey and R2 Crown Specifications

Combination Set 

Limited Edition: 1000

R2 (Crown) Coin

Limited Edition: 2000

The sterling silver R2 (Crown) coin is packaged in a blue leatherette box. Each coin issued has an individually numbered certificate of
authenticity.

2½ c (Tickey) Coin

Limited Edition: 2000

The sterling silver 2½ c (Tickey) coin is packaged in a blue pouch. Each coin issued has an individually numbered Certificate of
Authenticity.

Certificate of Authenticity

Each coin and coin set issued by the South African Mint Company has a Certificate of Authenticity. The certificate describes the coin’s
specifications, the year, the limited edition as well as a short description of the product. It also depicts the signature of the South
African Mint’s Managing Director, Mr Andile Mvinjelwa.
To prevent the duplication of a South African Mint product, the certificates are re-designed each year to include the coin design and
each certificate is individually numbered according to the limited edition of the coin or set. As another security measure, the South
African Mint’s logo, which is printed in transparent ink and only visible under ultra-violet light, features as part of the layout