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10 Kwacha Pope John Paul II
| Issuer | Malawi |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#107, Schön#65a |
| Obverse description | The central field displays the national coat of arms of Malawi, featuring a shield supported by two rampant lions, surmounted by a rising sun crest, with a scrolled banner below bearing the motto UNITY AND FREEDOM. The date 2003 is divided by the arms, with '20' to the left and '03' to the right. The circular legend REPUBLIC OF MALAWI arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 10 KWACHA appears along the lower periphery. |
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| Reverse description | A front-facing bust portrait of Pope John Paul II dominates the field, depicted wearing a richly decorated mitre and ornate pontifical vestments. The Pope holds a pastoral staff (ferula) upright in his right hand, rendered in fine relief against a deeply recessed mirror field. The legend WITNESS TO HOPE arcs along the upper periphery, while the inscription POPE JOHN PAUL II curves along the lower border. |
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| Additional information |
Issued the same year John Paul II made his final apostolic journey to Africa — a continent he had visited more than any other pope before him — this Malawian commemorative is one of dozens of near-identical gold-plated bronze issues produced for smaller nations by European private mints during the early 2000s. Malawi itself had no particular papal connection warranting a dedicated coin; the issue reflects a broader commercial phenomenon in which licensing arrangements with national mints produced technically legal tender with no realistic circulation intent.