Catalog
100 Francs Nelson Mandela
| Issuer | Banque Nationale du Rwanda |
|---|---|
| Year | 1990 |
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| Currency | Franc (1964-date) |
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| Obverse description | The Rwandan coat of arms occupies the central field, depicting a shield charged with a knot motif and the national motto, flanked by two crossed flags and surmounted by a dove. The denomination CENT FRANCS is inscribed above the arms in two lines, and the numeral 100 appears in the lower field. The circular legend BANQUE NATIONALE DU RWANDA runs along the upper periphery, with the arms inscriptions REPUBLIQUE RWANDAISE and LIBERTÉ-COOPÉRATION-PROGRÈS visible on the shield itself. |
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| Reverse description | A finely modelled bust of Nelson Mandela is portrayed in three-quarter facing right, rendered in high relief against a mirror-polished field. The legend NELSON MANDELA arcs along the upper periphery in bold lettering, while the date 1990 is inscribed at the base, flanked on either side by decorative stylised branch or chain ornaments. The engraver's initials B.G. appear incuse in the left field, below the portrait. |
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| Additional information |
Rwanda issued this coin in 1990, the same year Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison after 27 years of incarceration — a release that came in February, setting off a cascade of political negotiations that would culminate in the end of apartheid. The timing of this Rwandan issue is notable given that Rwanda itself was on the precipice of the civil war that began in October of that year, when the Rwandan Patriotic Front invaded from Uganda.