Although the SARB started issuing banknotes over 100 years ago, South Africa's history with paper money began in Cape Town, when Dutch settler Jan van Riebeeck set up a trading station for the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch guilder became the first currency used, brought by different traders and mariners who would pass through Cape Town.

In 1782, the first paper money was brought to Cape Town when the rix dollar and the stiver were the paper currency in that province. The very first notes were handwritten and had a government fiscal handstamp that printed the date of issue and the note's value.

Then Great Britain took over the colony and introduced a new currency after the Dutch East India Company went bankrupt, and the region was declared a British Colony in 1806.

In 1961, the rand was introduced, replacing the pound, just months before South Africa left the Commonwealth to become a republic.

Between 1961 to 1991, the banknotes' front face had the face of Jan van Riebeeck, with the first issues carrying just his face. The later issues had various additional symbols accompanying his face, such as the protea, Cape Dutch Architecture, vines, the Voortrekker Monument, the Great Trek, Union Buildings, and the springbok.

South Africa continued to use the British coin system until 1961 when South Africa gained independence and became a republic. This was the beginning of the South African rand, which takes its name from the Witwatersrand where gold was discovered. On 14 February 1961, the rand, replaced the pound.

Jan van Riebeeck (Born Johan Petros Anthoniszoon van Riebeeck 1619 – 1677) was a Dutch navigator, colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company and 1st Commander of the Cape. Jonkheer van Kretschmar, a genealogist, concluded in 1984 that the painting from which the image was borrowed was not of Van Riebeeck, the man who arrived with three ships in Table Bay in 1652.

FRONT: Portrait of Bartholomeus Vermuyden aka Jan van Riebeek, Sketch of Cape Dutch architecture in the middle, guilloche pattern.

Lettering: SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK - I PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND AT PRETORIA TWENTY RAND - EK BELOOF OP AANVRAAG TE BETAAL AAN TOONDER TE PRETORIA TWINTIO RAND - FRO THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK - VIR DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE RESERWEBANK PRETORIA Gerhard de Kork GOVERNOR PRESIDENT - TWENTY TWINTING RAND SUID~AFRIKAANSE RESERWEBANK 

Signature: G.P.C.de Kock (01.01.1981-07.08.1989)

BACK: Riebeeks  three sailing ships approaching Table Mountain, old Coat of Arms of South Africa with motto right.

Lettering: 20 EX UNITATE VIRES

Translation: Unity is Strenght 

Country                   South Africa

Period              Republic (since 1961)

Type                 Standard banknote

Year                         N/D (1981)

Years                   1979-1990

Value                  20 Rand 

Prefix                       D2/70

Serial No.                656458

Currency          Rand (since 1961)

Composition    Cotton, Linen

Color                       Brown

Size                   140 × 77 mm

Shape                     Rectangular

Security                   Metalized plastic thread, head of Bartholomeus Vermuyden aka Jan van Riebeek watermark.

Demonetized     Yes

References       P# 121c, Hern# 664-684