Description
Cape Sparrows 1 Cent South Africa Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry & Craft Making Reverse: Cape Sparrows below denomination Lettering: 1c Obverse: South Africa coat of arms with the motto "Ex Unitate Vires" (Power Through Unity)' legend in Afrikaans & English around, date below Lettering: SUID-AFRIKA SOUTH AFRICA Ex UNITATE VIRES Features IssuerSouth Africa PeriodRepublic of South Africa (1961-date) TypeStandard circulation coin Years1970-1989 Value1 Cent 0.01 ZAR = 0.00069 USD CurrencyRand (1961-date) CompositionBronze Weight3.0 g Diameter19.05 mm Thickness1.57 mm ShapeRound OrientationMedal alignment ↑↑ NumberN# 1794 ReferencesKM# 82, Hern# D27-32, 34/5, 37/8, 40-46, Schön# 121 Wikipedia: The Cape sparrow was featured on the lowest-denomination South African coin, from the farthing (¼-cent) in 1923 to the cent that ceased to be minted in 2002, with designs based on an original by George Kruger Gray. This was said to be because women interned at a concentration camp in Bethulie during the Boer War adopted a biblical quotation (from Matthew 10) as their motto: "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? & one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." The Cape sparrow is an abundant & familiar bird of human habitations & cultivation in most of southern Africa. It is not believed to be threatened, & accordingly is listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN's Red List. It can be an agricultural pest, especially of grain cultivation & vineyards. When vineyards in the south-west Cape started letting weeds grow between vines to conserve moisture, around 1956, the Cape sparrow moved in. Cape sparrows quickly exhausted the seeds & started eating the grapes. The Cape sparrow is now a serious pest in vineyards. Vineyards are not an optimal habitat, & some populations have had such a low reproductive success that they could not be maintained without immigration. Cape Sparrows 1 Cent South Africa Authentic Coin Money For Jewelry & Craft Making
