Government is embarking on a publicity campaign to ensure that people "know their money".

This in an effort to woo back public confidence in the local currency following the problems experienced with the counterfeiting of R5 coins.

The South African Reserve Bank and the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) will embark on a campaign to distribute posters and pamphlets to inform the public about the features on the new R5 coin and the commemorative R2 coin.

The GCIS's Directorate: Local Liaison and Information Management (LLIM) will therefore distribute 3 000 A2 posters for the R5 coin and 2 000 posters for the R2 coin.

In addition 10 000 A4 pamphlets will be distributed across the country.

As part of new security measures to curb counterfeiting the coin, the new R5 coin was manufactured using two different kinds of metals and will be bronze and silver in colour.

Other features include the black wildebeest (gnu) on the one side, the Coat of Arms on the other, a security groove on the rim side with "SARB R5" engraved in it and "SARB" engraved around the edges of the coin on the head side.

The new bi-metal coin will still have the year of manufacture on it and the words "South Africa", which would be rotated each year among the official languages.

It will circulate simultaneously with the "old" R5 coin until the latter is filtered out of the system.

The GCIS said the new coin would serve as a way to restore confidence in the local currency and the value of the R5 coin.

"The general public have partly lost confidence in trading in R5 coins due to the incidents of counterfeiting, and this could be seen by the fact that even the general public have resorted to carrying a magnet to test the "authenticity" of R5 coins," it said.

Regarding the commemorative R2 coin, the SARB wanted to use this limited edition coin to celebrate the ten years of freedom. Only 18 million of these R2 coins will be minted.

Both the coins become legal tender on August 1, while circulation will start on August 2.

Meanwhile the poster and pamphlet campaign will target the general public, especially those that use coins on a daily basis such as taxi and bus commuters, mid-sized retail shops, municipal halls and council offices, hospitals and health centres, and Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs).

Posters will be place at the relevant regional events, at information centres, as well as at taxi and bus ranks starting next Wednesday.

Television, radio and print advertisement will also be used. Commercial banks will also develop their own communication channels, while SARB branches will also enhance the campaign. – BuaNews.