ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan released a new batch of collectible coins dedicated to World War II hero Manshuk Mametova, reported the National Bank’s press service on Nov. 4.
Manshuk Mametova 100 jyl (100 years) collectible coin. Photo credit: Kazakh National Bank press service.
The coin were released in honor of Mametova’s 100 birth anniversary. It is a 100-tenge coin made of high-quality melchior alloy. Overall, 15,000 coins will be in circulation. The coin is a part of the “notable events and people” series.
The obverse side depicts Kazakhstan’s coat of arms along with ornamentation. The reverse side shows Mametova’s face, the gold medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union, a part of the official state decree by which the medal was bestowed upon her, and a map of the city of Nevel, where the hero died.
Mametova is considered a Hero of the Soviet Union and the first Kazakh woman to receive this title. She received it posthumously, killing 70 Nazi soldiers singlehandedly in the city of Nevel.
When German forces began advancing, Mametova refused to retreat. Those who came to her aid died while she remained the last machine gunner at her post. She received a severe head injury but continued fighting until she died of her wounds.
