Owner Comments:
Joint 2nd Finest Known PL. (1/2)
In Higher Grades: 1
Total Graded: 4
Mintage: 12,151,510
These nickel coins were issued until 1990, after which time the denomination was made much smaller with the Third Decimal Series. Thus, R1 coins issued in 1987 circulated for only four years until they were withdrawn.
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: * 1987 *.
Below the Coat of Arms on the left side, in small letters the initials of the designer ALS (for Arthur Sutherland).
Reverse
The reverse shows a Springbok antelope, jumping to the right.
Below that, the value and denomination 1 RAND.
Above the Springbok and to the left, the motto SOLI DEO GLORIA (translated from Latin: Glory to God alone).
Below left, the artist's initials J. v. Z. (for Jan van Zyl).