Wellington (dpa) - Gold and silver coins featuring the late Sir Edmund
Hillary against a backdrop of Mount Everest were released in New
Zealand on Thursday, the 55th anniversary of his historic ascent of the
world's highest peak with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

New Zealand Post, which issued the commemorative coins, said part
of the proceeds of their sale would go to the Himalayan Trust that
Hillary established for the Sherpa people of Nepal.

The gold coin, which has a face value of 10 New Zealand dollars
(about 8 US dollars), is being sold for 50 times that. Only 1,953 have
been minted, representing the year the Everest was first climbed.

A maximum 10,000 of the silver coins, which have a legal tender
value of 1 New Zealand dollar and sell for 89 New Zealand dollars, are
being minted.

Hillary was part of a British expedition to Everest and both coins
have a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, who is also Queen of New Zealand,
on the reverse.

Hillary, the first living New Zealander to be featured on a bank note, died in January, aged 89. (dpa)