In 1989 the South African Mint proposed a new coin series for South Africa and recommended a complete change to electroplated coins as a solution to the escalating costs of materials and manufacturing and the increasing risk of falsification.

The new series was divided into three different groups:

The Blue Crane (Anthropoides Paradisea) is our national bird and is found throughout the large Savannah areas of South Africa, usually near water. Each bird is about 105 cm tall with both sexes identical. Identification is easy because of the large head with dark brown irises and a pinkish bill. Nesting pairs seem to mate for life and use the same nesting sites. The Blue Crane population is thriving. As the Blue Crane is more-or-less confined to South Africa, it has been used only on South African coins. Our second decimal series. 1965 to 1990, had the Blue Crane on the nickel 5c and it was retained on the copper plated 5c on the third decimal series, but with a redesigned image. The Blue Crane portrayed on the reverse of the South African 5c was modeled by G Richard; the obverse was modeled by A Sutherland. The design was developed from an original artwork by the well-known artist, Dick Findley. The artwork is on display at the South African Mint's museum

Specifications

Language rotation

2002 - siSwati 

2003 - Xitsonga

2004 - English

2005 - Setswana

2006 - Sepedi/Sesotho

2007 - Afrikaana

2008 - isiXhosa

2009 - isiZuli

2010 - isiNdebele

2011 - Tshivenda