Reuters, 18/07 15:13 CET
PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa launched a set of limited edition gold and silver coins on Friday to honour former president Nelson Mandela on what would have been the late anti-apartheid hero's 96th birthday.
The South African Reserve Bank said the set of three coins was a tribute to South Africa's first democratic president's 'dedication to life-long learning'.
The centrepiece is a 24 carat gold coin etched with Mandela's portrait with his arms folded, inscribed with his words: 'Every where it is accepted that students... have the right to freedom of thought.'
The second coin, also gold, shows an elderly Mandela over-looking his alma mater the University of Fort Hare -a blacks-only university and a hotbed of anti-government activity during apartheid.
The third is a sterling silver coin that depicts a young Mandela learning to write his name on his first day of school.
The United Nations designated July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009.
(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, editing by John Stonestreet)
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Entities 0 Name: Reuters Count: 4 1 Name: Mandela Count: 3 2 Name: South Africa Count: 2 3 Name: Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo Count: 1 4 Name: South African Reserve Bank Count: 1 5 Name: Mfuneko Toyana Count: 1 6 Name: University of Fort Hare Count: 1 7 Name: Nelson Mandela Count: 1 8 Name: John Stonestreet Count: 1 9 Name: PRETORIA Count: 1 10 Name: United Nations Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1qN2mOF Title: World marks Nelson Mandela Day Description: It's Nelson Mandela International Day, a day of service celebrated on July 18, Mandela's birthday. Mandela, the former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Price recipient, died at the age of 95 on Dec. 5, 2013. This is the first time the day has been celebrated since his death.
