REPUBLIC OF RWANDA
CELEBRATING THE 5th ANNIVERSARY OF RWANDAN INDEPENDENCE (1961-1965)
RARE GOLD FIVE FRANCS CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 66
OBV: 3/4 PORTRAIT BUST OF PRESIDENT GREGOIRE KAYIBANDA RIGHT; DATE "1961" BELOW.
REV: NATIONAL ARMS DRAPED WITH TWO FLAGS BEHIND; DENOMINATION ABOVE AND DATES BELOW RIGHT.
UNTIL INDEPENDENCE, RWANDA WAS A PART OF RWANDA-URUNDI, AN INDIGENOUS KINGDOM AND UNITED NATIONS TRUST TERRITORY UNDER THE U.N. SANCTIONED ADMINISTRATION OF BELGIUM.
THE ANCIENT CLASS SYSTEM OF NEAR FEUDAL ETHNIC CASTES WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE BELGIAN AUTHORITIES WHO CONSIDERED THE RULING TUTSI (IDENTICAL TO THE HISTORIC WATUSI TRIBE) AND THE HUTU POPULATIONS TO BE TWO SEPARATE RACES.
THE HUTU LEADER GRÉGOIRE KAYIBANDA, OPPOSED TUTSI "FUEDALISM" AND WAS COMMITTED TO HUTU EMANCIPATION.
IN 1959, THE RWANDAN REVOLUTION, CALLED "THE WIND OF DESTRUCTION", BROKE OUT (IN RESPOSE TO TUTSI REACTIONARY VIOLENCE AGAINST HUTU LEADERS) AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE BETWEEN TUTSI AND HUTU ENDED (FOR A TIME) WITH FROM TWENTY-THOUSAND TO ONE-HUNDRED THOUSAND TUTSI DEAD AND THE MWAMI OR TRADITIONAL TUTSI MONARCH, KIGELI V, AND MANY OTHERS FLEEING AS REFUGEES TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
BELGIAN COMMANDOS WERE SENT IN TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, BUT THE BELGIAN ADMINISTRATION WAS ALSO ACCUSED OF AIDING THE HUTU IN THEIR GENOCIDAL ATROCITIES AND OF PARTICIPATING IN "NAZI-LIKE" TACTICS.
IN 1961, BELGIUM ABOLISHED THE TUTSI MONARCHY, AND IN 1962 A NATIONAL REFERENDUM WAS HELD WITH ELECTIONS ENDING THE MINORITY TUTSI HEGEMONY AND SEPARATING RWANDA FROM BURUNDI, ESTABLISHING THE INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF RWANDA AND ELECTING KAYIBANDA ITS FIRST PRESIDENT.
KM # 1
CONTAINS 3 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.0868 OZ AGW)
19 MM IN DIAMETER
MINTAGE FIGURES FOR THE 1965 PROOF GOLD 10 FRANC ARE UNKOWN. THE FIGURES FOR THE NON-PROOF ISSUE AT AN ORIGINAL 10,000 PIECES, THIS SPECIAL PROOF ISSUE WELL BELOW THAT FIGURE. WITH THE CIVIL/ETHNIC CONFLICTS AND GENOCIDE IN RWANDA LASTING TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS CENTURY, MANY OF THESE COINS HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY PERISHED AS WELL.
