Postal cover, coin, statue to mark Mother Teresa's sainthood

Made of pure silk, India Post will release a special postal and numismatic cover of Mother Teresa, the first of its kind, on September 2.

"A five-rupee commemorative coin issued by the Indian government in 2010 to mark the centenary birth celebrations of the legend will be engraved on the cover. This is a special feature as it combines the two collectible items of coins and stamps," eminent philatelist Alok K Goyal, who designed the stamps, said.

The collectors' item will be released in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces. Besides this, the Republic of Macedonia, where Teresa was born in 1910, has also announced to release a special gold-plated silver coin on the Nobel laureate.

The coin will have a face value of 100 Macedonian Denars and will be released next month.

Up to 5,000 pieces of the coin will be minted for the global market out of which 50 will be made available for the Indian market, said Goyal, an international dealer in unusual stamps and coins.

At the centre of the coin is a statue of Mother Teresa dressed in her trademark plain white sari with three blue stripes along its border.

The coin also has the image of a clematis flower known as "Matka Teresa" (Mother Teresa) bred by Stefan Franczak, Polish Jesuit monk.

It also carries the Latin inscription "Sancta Teresia de Calcutta" (Saint Teresa of Calcutta).

"We are hoping that this coin will be a hit not only in the Indian market but all over the world as she has her fans in every corner," Goyal, who represents the International Coin House in India, said.

In Kolkata, where Mother Teresa had worked all her life and established the Missionaries of Charity, a life-size bronze statue of her will be installed at the Bishop House next to the statue of Pope John Paul II this Thursday, on the eve of her birth anniversary.

Built by Church Art, a Kolkata-based firm engaged in making various works of art, the 5.5 feet long statue is made of bronze imported from Italy.

The statue has been donated by Namit Bajoria, Designate Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.

Teresa was born in Skopje, the capital city of Republic of Macedonia, before she left her parental home as an 18-year-old to join the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish Community of nuns with missions in India.

For over 40 years, she served the poorest of the poor and disabled on the streets of Kolkata. For her services, she received 124 awards and distinctions, including the Nobel Peace Prize and the Bharat Ratna.

At a gala ceremony on September 4, she will be declared a saint by the Church which has recognised two miracles she was said to have carried out after her death in 1997.

The government of Macedonia has also announced that they will mark the declaration of Mother Teresa as a saint with several events.