KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) issued a commemorative coin to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the United States of America.
The Rs75 coin will be available at the exchange counters of SBP Banking Services Corporation from August 25, 2023.
The commemorative coin was issued in a ceremony held in Islamabad and attended by the Foreign Secretary for Pakistan, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, said a statement issued today.
SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad, in his welcome address, said that the issuance of the commemorative coin was a manifestation of the importance both the countries attach to their relationship, and the design of the coin signifies how independent nations join hands to work together for the progress of their people.
He highlighted the important economic ties between the two nations, encompassing trade, Foreign Direct Investments, finance and remittances, and lauded the deep people-to-people connection between the countries in various walks of life, particularly in the field of education, the state news agency reported.
He hoped that given the promising future of the fintech sector in Pakistan and SBP’s multiple initiatives for supporting the same, US fintech firms would explore and invest in the opportunities provided by these emerging businesses.
Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi praised the beautiful commemorative coin, remarking that the national symbols of Pakistan and the United States of America on the coin highlight the democratic roots of both countries.
Delineating the multidimensional relationship between the two countries, encompassing trade & investment, defence, counter-terrorism, education, energy, climate and health, he said that the high-level bilateral visits between the two countries have helped to further cement the relationship.
Reiterating the importance of the Pak-US relationship for Pakistan, the US and the region, the Foreign Secretary said that the coin would continue to stand as an enduring symbol of our commitment to this long-standing association.
Qazi paid tribute to the mutually beneficial relationship between the countries, acknowledging the efforts of Ambassador Blome in injecting a new vigor into this relationship.
He also thanked the Governor SBP for holding a historic ceremony to commemorate the importance of the Pak-US relationship.
US Ambassador, Donald Blome, said that the coin represents the shared values, ideals and common ties between the two countries, as well as their commitment to a brighter future.
He was confident that new initiatives such as the US-Pakistan Green Alliance would help both countries to jointly address their shared challenges.
He thanked the State Bank of Pakistan for the meaningful gesture of issuance of the commemorative coin and expressed hope of working closely with the Government of Pakistan.
Commemorative coin, Pak-US ties
The coin is in a round shape milled with serrations on the edge, diameter of 30.00 mm, weighs 13.5 grams and has Cupro-Nickel metal contents.
On the obverse side of the coin, ‘The State Emblem of Government of Pakistan’ is shown in the centre with the wording ’ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN’ written on the top of the emblem along with the periphery.
The face value of the coin in words ‘Rs.’ and in numeral ‘75’ is written on the left and right sides of the emblem respectively.
Below the state emblem, years in numeral ’1947-2022’ are written depicting the year of Pakistan’s independence and the year of 75th anniversary of Pak-US relations respectively.
The wording ‘Éman-Ithad-Nazm’ in Urdu Script is written below the years ‘1947-2022 ’ along with the periphery.
On the reverse side of the coin, the national emblem of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ‘The Great Seal’ is shown in the centre.
The wording ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’ is written on the top of the US national emblem and ‘75 ANNIVERSARY OF US-PAK RELATIONS at the bottom of the emblem, along with the periphery.
Two stars- one on the left side and the other on the right side- are shown to separate this wording.
Below the emblem, the numeral ‘1776’ is written depicting the year of independence of the United States of America.
