2 South African Rand Banknote (Van Riebeeck 1974 Issue)

2 Rand Rand (Issued 1974-1976)

South Africa’s transition into the early post-apartheid era of currency design brought with it a distinctive visual language rooted in colonial heritage and industrial ambition, both of which are reflected clearly in this second series 2 Rand note issued between 1974 and 1976. The South African Reserve Bank produced these notes during a period of significant economic and political tension, as the apartheid government faced growing international pressure while simultaneously investing heavily in domestic infrastructure. The note was subsequently withdrawn from circulation, though examples remain in the hands of private individuals across the world, including in the United Kingdom. It stands as a document of South Africa’s monetary history during one of the most contested chapters of its modern past.

On the front, the dominant feature is a portrait of Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch colonial administrator credited by the apartheid-era government with founding the Cape Colony in 1652, depicted in a finely engraved oval vignette to the left of centre. The portrait shows van Riebeeck in period dress with a distinctive wide lace collar characteristic of seventeenth-century Dutch fashion, rendered in detailed intaglio engraving with strong tonal depth across the face and clothing. The overall colour palette of the front is a cool blue-purple, with the background filled by intricate guilloché rosette patterns and fine lathe-work screens that shift subtly across the surface. At the top centre, the bilingual heading reads “SUID-AFRIKAANSE RESERWEBANK” in bold serif capitals, with “SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK” repeated along the lower edge, reflecting the note’s dual Afrikaans and English identity. The central denomination text reads “TWEE RAND / TWO RAND” in large serif type, flanked by decorative engraved scrollwork. The serial number D/98 984048 appears twice — once in the upper right and once in the lower left — printed in blue against the patterned background. A bilingual promise-to-pay clause runs horizontally across the upper portion of the note, reading “EK BELOOF OM AANVRAAG TE BETAAL AAN TOONDER TE PRETORIA / I PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND AT PRETORIA”. The signature of T.W. de Jongh, President and Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, appears in manuscript form above the printed title “PRETORIA” and “GOVERNOR”, providing the note’s official authentication. The numeral “2” appears in the upper left and lower right corners within ornate guilloché frames.

The reverse is rendered entirely in a deep blue ink with strong intaglio printing, dominated by a large and highly detailed engraving of a major hydroelectric dam and reservoir. Water can be seen cascading through the dam’s floodgates in a dramatic representation of controlled hydraulic power, with the broad expanse of a reservoir stretching into the distance behind it, framed by a range of low mountains along the horizon. To the right foreground, a towering electricity pylon rises prominently, with multiple high-tension power lines radiating outward from its apex across the composition, conveying the connection between the dam’s generating capacity and the national electricity grid. The engraving is executed with exceptional precision, the fine cross-hatching and line work creating convincing depth across the water surface, the dam wall, and the distant hills. Decorative guilloché borders run along the top and bottom edges of the reverse, and the numeral “2” appears in ornate frames in both the upper left and upper right corners. The overall composition presents an image of industrial confidence and national development that was central to the South African government’s messaging during this period.

Looking to exchange leftover currency? Your 2 Rand banknote can be sold to Webuyallcurrency.com alongside other old or withdrawn South African Rands banknotes, turning spare money from a trip or collection into cash in one simple transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 2 Rand Rand banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com is a simple way to exchange or sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash — current or withdrawn — turning your South African Rands banknotes and any other leftover currency into one straightforward payout.

Other South African Rands you can exchange: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200.