Numistify guide

Which South African Coins Are Silver? Silver Content by Year

South Africa struck silver coins for most of a century, and the fineness fell in clear steps. Here is every silver coin by date, with its fineness and silver content.

For reference only. This guide describes general practice and may not fit every situation. Nothing here is a valuation, or advice on what any coin is worth. Check with your local numismatic expert or coin shop for advice.

Updated October 2026 · tables generated from Numistify’s coin templates

The short answer

The coins of the South African Republic (ZAR) under Kruger, 1892–1897, are sterling silver, .925. The Union of South Africa struck its silver coins in .800 from 1923 to 1950 and in .500 from 1951 to 1960. The first rand coins, 1961–1964, were also .500 silver; from 1965 the 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents were nickel. The silver rand (.800, 15 g) followed in 1965 and circulated until 1976, after which silver rands were limited editions. Since 2017 there is also a .999 Silver Krugerrand.

South African silver coins by year

Denomination	Years	Fineness	Silver (troy oz)	KM
Threepence	1892–1897	.925	0.0420	KM-3
Sixpence	1892–1897	.925	0.0841	KM-4
Shilling	1892–1897	.925	0.1682	KM-5
2 Shillings	1892–1897	.925	0.3364	KM-6
2½ Shillings	1892–1897	.925	0.4205	KM-7
5 Shillings	1892	.925	0.8409	KM-8
Threepence	1923–1950	.800	0.0364	KM-15/15a/26/35.1
Sixpence	1923–1950	.800	0.0728	KM-16/16a/27/36.1
Shilling	1923–1950	.800	0.1456	KM-17/28/37.1
2 Shillings	1923–1950	.800	0.2909	KM-18/22/29/38.1
2½ Shillings	1923–1950	.800	0.3637	KM-19/30/39.1
5 Shillings	1947–1950	.800	0.7273	KM-31/40.1
Threepence	1951–1960	.500	0.0227	KM-35.2/47
Sixpence	1951–1960	.500	0.0455	KM-36.2/48
Shilling	1951–1960	.500	0.0910	KM-37.2/49
2 Shillings	1951–1960	.500	0.1818	KM-38.2/50
2½ Shillings	1951–1960	.500	0.2273	KM-39.2/51
5 Shillings	1951–1960	.500	0.4546	KM-40.2/41/52/55
2½ Cents	1961–1964	.500	0.0227	KM-58
5 Cents	1961–1964	.500	0.0455	KM-59
10 Cents	1961–1964	.500	0.0910	KM-60
20 Cents	1961–1964	.500	0.1818	KM-61
50 Cents	1961–1964	.500	0.4546	KM-62
1 Rand	1965–1990	.800	0.3858	KM-71/72/80/88 and commemoratives
1 Rand	1991–2009	—	0.4461	KM-142 and later
2 Rand	1992–2011	—	1.0000	KM-145 and later

— Fineness not recorded; silver content as published.

Not every coin is listed. This table is for reference: it covers the silver coins in Numistify’s catalogue and may not include every coin, date, variety or special issue. If your coin is not here, look it up in a world coin catalogue such as Numista or the Standard Catalog of World Coins, or ask your local coin shop.

Reading the table

Fineness is the share of silver in the coin: .900 means 90% silver. Silver (troy oz) is the pure silver it contains, the figure that sets its metal value — multiply it by the day’s silver price. KM is the coin’s number in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the quickest way to look it up. Our guide to silver and gold melt value shows the calculation.

Telling them apart

1950 and 1951. A Union shilling of 1950 is .800; one of 1951 to 1960 is .500.

The first rand coins. The 2½, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents of 1961–1964 are .500 silver; the 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents from 1965 are nickel, and the 2½ cents was not struck after 1964.

Rands in silver and in base metal. Base-metal 1 rand coins exist too, so check the weight and colour of any rand.

Proof commemoratives. The silver proof 1 and 2 rand of 1991–2011 have a published silver content, but no fineness is recorded in the table.

Bullion

The Krugerrand, best known in gold, has been struck in .999 silver since 2017.

Coin	Size	Years	Fineness	Silver (troy oz)
Krugerrand	1 oz	2017–	.999	1.0000

What they are worth

Silver content sets a floor, not the value. A scarce date, a rare mint or a coin in fine condition can be worth far more than its metal, so check before selling any coin for its silver: look it up in a world coin catalogue such as the Standard Catalog of World Coins or the NGC World Coin Price Guide, compare auction records and eBay sold listings for the same coin in the same condition, and ask your local coin shop. Our guide to what your coin is worth walks through each step, and are old foreign coins worth anything? covers sorting a mixed lot.

Know the silver in your collection. Numistify identifies a coin from a photo and fills in its fineness and silver weight from the same templates these tables come from. Numistify is free for your first 50 items.

Questions people ask

Are old South African coins silver?

Coins of the ZAR (1892–1897) are .925 silver, Union coins of 1923–1950 are .800 and those of 1951–1960 are .500. The first rand coins of 1961–1964 are .500 silver; from 1965 the 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents were nickel.

Is the South African silver rand real silver?

Yes. The silver rand is .800 silver, 15 g, with about 0.39 troy ounces of silver. It circulated from 1965 to 1976; base-metal 1 rand coins also exist.

Are South African 1961–1964 coins silver?

Yes. The 2½, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents of 1961–1964 are .500 silver.

Is there a silver Krugerrand?

Yes. The Silver Krugerrand has been struck since 2017 in .999 silver, 1 ounce.

Related guides

Silver and gold melt value — turning silver weight into a metal value.

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