Ghana’s first president of, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had his image engraved on a Guinean coin.
Dr. Kwame is said to have been close friends with Guinea’s first president, Sekou Toure as during his reign as president of Ghana, he sent £10 million to Guinea when its economy was being destroyed for voting for independence from France.
During Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966, Sekou Toure said “Ghanaian traitors have been mistaken in thinking that Nkrumah is simply a Ghanaian. He is a universal man.”
Ghana’s first president went into exile in Guinea after a coup to overthrow him in 1966 and was made a co-president of the country by his friend, Sekou Toure.
Sekou Toure revered and loved his friend so much that even in death, he honoured Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by embossing his face on the 5 sylis note and coin of Guinea.
This syli currency was Guinea’s legal tender between 1971 and 1985 and the word means elephant.
Below are pictures of the syli note and coin:
