Displayed in brightly-lit glass boxes for guests to admire, the coins were made to honour the life of the legendary Nelson Mandela. Each coin, available in denominations of R1, R5 and R25, portray a different chapter of Madiba’s life and his personal growth toward becoming a man who relied on his inner strength and abilities.
The sterling silver R1 Protea coin is inscribed with an iconic quote from the liberal leader, as well as an image of him and his mother. The pure gold R5 coin depicts a silhouette of a child, along with a quote taken from the launch of the Nelson Mandela Children’s fund on May 1995, in a nod to his dedication to helping children. Lastly, the pure gold R25 coin has images inspired by his childhood and is inscribed with a heart-warming quote about Mandela’s hometown, “… it was in that village near Umtata that I spent the happiest years of my boyhood and whence I trace my earliest memories”.
Among the flock of esteemed guests was Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Mandela’s personal chef for almost two decades. She claimed that when the issue of his face being printed on money was raised, tata Madiba laughed. “He said to us ‘Why are you are so excited about this money thing – I’m not the governor. There’s Gill Marcus, those are the people whose faces should appear on the money because I am just a nobody’,” Ndoyiya revealed.
“I don’t think he’d have anything bad to say about the money, but he would have made some of his jokes that we all know, he’d make us laugh about it.”
It is reported that The Life of a Legend coin set will run for 12 years, with a three-coin set to be released each year in April.
Details: www.samint.co.za
