Central Bank of Seychelles’ New Coin Series 2016

Project Owner: Central Bank of Seychelles/ The Royal Mint

Uniqueness

The Seychelles’ New Coin Series of 2016 is unmistakeably unique. The waving lines of the Seychelles’ flag run through all of the coin designs. This intricate connection not only links the coins to each other as a family but also links them to the Seychelles.

The series as a whole is unique in its familial connection, but each individual coin is also special in its own right. With each denomination featuring a life form purely endemic to the Seychelles, these designs are truly unique to the country.

The 1 Rupee, 5 Rupee and 10 Rupee all feature the name of the flora or fauna central to their design in Seychelles’ three most commonly spoken languages – English, Seychellois Creole and French – uniquely Seychellois. The words curve around the left edge of each coin’s reverse face, keeping the series link whilst introducing its distinctive design promoting Seychelles’ unique biodiversity.

Historical or Local Content

The designs on the Seychelles coinage had not been changed since 1982, making this an important historical event for the country.

The flora and fauna making up the coin designs can be found only on the islands of the Seychelles. The designs are therefore entirely specific to the country and represent the unique biodiversity of the Seychelles. A total of 35 endemic life forms are featured on the new series as a whole, including coin denominations and banknotes produced by three suppliers.

The typography featured on the left edge of each coin’s recerse face displays the name of its flora or fauna in the three languages most commonly spoken in the Seychelles celebrating the trilingual heritage of the country – English, Seychellois Creole and French.

These local touches are further enhanced by the waving flag lines of the national flag of Seychelles running through the background of each design.

Feedback from Stakeholders, Including the General Public

The plans and efforts of the Central Bank of Seychelles ensured the smooth introduction of all the coins alongside the banknotes. The visually impaired community expressed a great sense of appreciation for the level of differentiation adopted in the coins, especially the shaped 10 Rupee coin which is a brand new coin replacing a banknote. In their view this will help them greatly in their daily life.
The general community at large has accepted all of the coins very well. The fact that the 5 rupee and 1 rupee specifications remained the same as previous coins, as did the lower denominations made by the South African Mint, will make their life easier by reducing the amount of confusion that could be caused by issuing new coins with different parameters. The chosen themes bring national pride to everyone both young and old.

Aesthetic Appeal

The theme of the Seychelles New Currency Series was centred around ‘Seychelles Unique Biodiversity – the backbone of our economy’. All the coin designs therefore feature beautiful iconic images which are easily recognisable.

The coins vary in size and colour and includes the new shaped, bicolour 10 Rupee coin which was previously a banknote.

The 1 Rupee, 5 Rupee and 10 Rupee coins feature a latent image which shows the letters ‘CBS’ (Central Bank of Seychelles) when tilted in one direction and the denomination in words when tilted in the other direction.

Despite the variation in the coins’ appearance, they also have aesthetic similarities which identify the coins as a family such as the waving flaglines in the background and the placement of typography, denomination and latent image.

To facilitate the transition between the old designs and the new, some features such as the crest on the obverse were retained.

Denomination Differentiation and Integration of Security Features with Graphic Design

Despite the way all of the denominations are linked to each other through the flag lines, theme and wording featured on their designs, they are also cleverly differentiated to make it easy for the public to single them out by their transactional values.

The highest denomination, the 10 Rupee, was previously a banknote but is now a secure, shaped, bicolour coin whilst the 5 and 1 Rupee coins are round with their tangible size difference preventing any confusion. The coins’ physical parameters were designed with purposeful consideration given to the blind or illiterate.

The denominational value in numerical form is a large, clear feature on the design of each coin making it easy for children to use but is also interwoven in its word form as a latent image which is a great security feature, showing the denomination when tilted at one angle and the letters ‘CBS’ at another angle.

Awards | Coin Awards 2017

Category:

Best New Circulating Coin or Coin Series

Status:

Finalist