A coin to mark the 50th anniversary of UNICEF

Sri Lanka

Under the British Empire, Sri Lanka was known as “Ceylon” (more on the history of Ceylon in this previous coin). On February 4, 1948, Ceylon was granted independence as the Dominion of Ceylon. Dominion status within the British Commonwealth was retained for the next 24 years until May 22, 1972, when it became a republic and was renamed the Republic of Sri Lanka.

Sadly, the following decades were marked by civil war, between the “Tamil Tigers”, a people who originally came from the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lankan government forces.

Repeated invasion of Sri Lanka from South India in the ancient and medieval periods did shape the attitude of the Sinhalese towards the Tamils. The Tamils originally came from the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. But the relationship was not always antagonistic. There was ample and significant accommodation, tolerance and absorption of ideas and cultures between the two, right through. The civil war ended in 2009 and the country has been working on healing since then.

UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II. The mandate of UNICEF was to help children and young people whose lives and futures were at risk – no matter what role their country had played in the war.

UNICEF changed their name to the United Nations Children’s Fund in 1953 when it became a permanent part of the United Nations system. They kept the acronym even after shortening the name, since you can read it as a word, unlike UNCF.

UNICEF works to protect the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged and those hardest to reach. Today, across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF works to help children survive, thrive and fulfil their potential.

UNICEF provides and advocate for education, health and nutrition services. Protect children from violence and abuse. Bring clean water and sanitation to those in need. And keep them safe from climate change and disease.

The world’s largest provider of vaccines, UNICEF also runs the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse.

Before, during and after emergencies, we’re on the ground with life-saving help and hope.

UNICEF in Sri Lanka

UNICEF has been supporting the rights and wellbeing of children in Sri Lanka since the early 1950’s. For over 50 years, with the help of our vast network of partners, UNICEF has made significant strides in raising health, education and protection standards for children in Sri Lanka. From achieving Universal Child Immunization (1989) to establishing The National Child Protection Authority (1998) to providing decades of crucial relief in the wake of devastating conflict and natural disaster, UNICEF has played a pivotal role in creating an environment in which children have the best chance to survive and thrive.

UNICEF’s success in Sri Lanka is built on their ability to tap into a wide network of national and international partners which, in turn, is bolstered by their own far-reaching presence in the field. In working closely with these government, non-government and private entities, UNICEF takes a leadership role, drawing on our technical expertise to accurately assess existing challenges and develop, execute and coordinate solutions that are relevant and scalable on the ground.

Obverse

The obverse of the coin features text celebrating the “United Nations Children’s Fund anniversary” in English and Tamil. In the centre is the UNICEF logo, featuring the organisation name in lowercase, heavy type. To the right is a globe with laurel branches either side, and a silhouette of a mother lifting a child in the globe. The original globe and laurels are based on the UN Emblem.

Full credit to the UN and UNICEF. I don’t think I’ve seen another organisation with ready access to such detailed history and description of their logo.

Reverse

The reverse features the country name, value and year in both English and Tamil. This reverse design was used on the 1 Rupee coin from 1963 to 2016. The coins themselves changed over those years:

• 1963-1971: KM133, had the Ceylon coat of arms, 25mm diameter
• 1972-1994: KM136, had the Sri Lanka coat of arms and was made of Copper-Nickel
• 1996-2004: KM136a, was identical to the previous issue, but made of Nickel-clad steel (Magnetic)
• 2005-2013: KM136.3, now brass-plated steel and 20mm (hence the .3 rather than “b” at the end of the KM number)
• 2016: KM136.3a, stainless steel

In 2017, the design changed to move the country name and year around the coat of arms on the obverse, and to include a large “1” on the reverse.

There were also commemorative coins issued in 1978 and 1992 featuring the new president of the time, as well as this UNICEF commemorative in 1996. The only other 1 Rupee coin was issued back in 1958, for the 2500th Anniversary of Buddhism.

The Central Bank site has a nice history of coins and banknotes in Sri Lanka from ancient coins to current. I didn’t find a good place to link to it in this post but wanted to include it for anyone researching Sri Lankan coins.

What is your favourite Sri Lankan coin? Or what is your favourite coin commemorating an organisation? Issuing a coin featuring an organisation is not the most common, but there are a few out there. There are seven coins featuring UNICEF, and hat tip to Portugal for this one featuring a dove on wheels:

(1999 Portugal 200 Escudos for UNICEF, from Numista).

Let us know what you’ve found!