By Thandi Skade and Sapa
He took the coin in his hands, brought it to eye-level for closer inspection, and raised an eyebrow.
Then Nelson Mandela grinned.
A new R5 bi-metal coin - bearing the former president and Nobel Peace prize laureate's face - was launched on Monday by the South African Reserve Bank, the SA Mint Company, the Ministry of Finance and the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) as part of Madiba's 90th birthday celebrations.
'Well, I'm a bit richer today!'
Moments after Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, SA Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni and Madiba himself used the manual coin press to produce an example, the great man smiled and said: "Well, I'm a bit richer today!"
Five million copies of the coin have been minted and will go into circulation on July 18.
Mandela is shown wearing one of his signature patterned shirts.
The coin is legal tender, said Mboweni.
"Do use it to buy goods and services," he said.
"It's a celebration of your birthday, but also a celebration of South Africans wanting to share your love, experience and leadership," Manuel told Mandela.
"We want to see it in circulation," Manuel said of the coin.
Wearing a golden leaf pattern shirt, Mandela arrived at the launch with his personal assistant Zelda la Grange, who helped him to his seat.
Mandela made use of the occasion to shake hands with Mboweni's five-year-old son, Sello.
"Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar," Mboweni said after handing the new coin to Mandela.
Meanwhile the NMF on Monday announced the authorisation of two official Mandela birthday books that are currently on sale.
They are Nelson Mandela: The Authorised Comic and Hunger For Freedom: The Story of Food in the Life of Nelson Mandela.
"We are proud to be associated with these two excellent accounts of Mr Mandela's life.
"In both cases we worked closely with the authors and publishers to ensure accuracy," said Achmat Dangor, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
they worth R5 each. It is worth nothing more, only the proof coins are. 