Depicts a portrait of Jan van Riebeeck with the state name in English at right.

Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (1619–1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator who founded Cape Town in what then became the Dutch Cape Colony of the Dutch East India Company.

Depicted the King protea plant within sprigs with the denomination on the left.

The South African National Flower, the King Protea was one of the first distinctive South African symbols that appeared on the tickey and sixpence coins from 1925 to 1960. With the introduction of South Africa’s first decimal series (1961–1964) the Protea was again depicted on the 2½c and 5c coins.

With the second decimal coin series (1965–1989), a South African horticultural artist, Cynthna Letty was responsible for the artwork. Die-sinker Tommy Sasseen modelled the design from the original watercolour painting which can be viewed at the South African Mint museum.