25 Francs President Modibo Keita, '1967'

Mali struck this issue — along with the rest of its 1967 gold proof series — to commemorate the nation's independence and honor President Modibo Keita, who had led the country since the dissolution of the Mali Federation in 1960. The coins were almost certainly never intended for circulation; production was handled by the Paris Mint for the collector and diplomatic gift market, a common arrangement for Francophone African states in the 1960s seeking hard currency and international visibility.

Keita was deposed in a military coup just two years later, in November 1968, making this one of the last numismatic tributes issued under his government.