Among the coins in circulation in Taiwan, only portraits of three historical figures -- Dr. Sun Yat-sen, late President Chiang Kai-shek and aboriginal resistor against Japanese rule Mona Rudao -- are featured, but the Central Bank of the Republic of China is considering whether to issue a new coin bearing an image of Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui. However, it remains unclear whether the coin will be a commemorative coin or a replacement for the existing NT$10 coin featuring Chiang Kai-shek, which was introduced 28 years ago. Lin Fu-hsin, Deputy Director-General of the bank's Department of Issuing, said the central bank will solicit public opinion on the issue before presenting a proposal to the Executive Yuan for approval. The bank is required by law to submit to the Executive Yuan in advance a report detailing the face value, composition, form and design of any new version of banknotes or coins. Rebutting reports that President Ma Ying-jeou has failed to deliver on a campaign promise to issue commemorative coins bearing the likeness of Chiang Wei-shui, the Presidential Office said Monday that the central bank will introduce the new coin at the proper time and according to its own rules. The Liberty Times reported that same day that following his election in March last year, Ma wrote a letter to ask Chiang's descendants for their consent to replace the current NT$10 coin -- which bears the likeness of the late President Chiang Kai-shek -- with one showing the prominent late Taiwanese dissident. According to the report, Chiang's grandson, Chiang Chao-ken, said he felt disrespected, as there had been no further news about the coin, despite the family's agreement that it could be minted. Chang Kuo-pao, director of the Presidential Department of Public Affairs, said there might have been some misunderstanding over the issue. Chang said Chiang's descendants thought after they received the letter from Ma that the central bank would issue a new version of the NT$10 coin, but he pointed out that the issuance of a commemorative coin has to follow administrative procedures. He explained that Ma had suggested to Central Bank Governor Perng Fai-nan that it would be better to issue commemorative coins featuring Taiwanese historical figures rather than the past precedent of having the new president on the post- election coins issued as keepsakes. However, the central bank still issued coins for commemorating the inauguration of the president and vice president in May 2008 bearing images of Ma and Vice President Vincent Siew. According to a central bank official at Department of Issuing, some 9,000 sets of gold commemorative coins and 46,000 sets of silver coins have been sold. At present, the NT$10, NT$5 and NT$1 coins all bear the image of Chiang Kai- shek. It was not until 2001, when the central bank issued a new NT$20-denomination coin bearing the portrait of Mona Rudao, that the trend of using Chiang Kai- shek's portrait was changed. The portrait of Sun Yat-sen -- frequently referred to as the Father of the Nation -- has been used twice in the country's coin history. First was on a commemorative NT$10 coin to celebrate the nation's 90th birthday in 2001, and again on the NT$50 coin introduced in 2002. Known as 'Taiwan's Sun Yat-sen,' Chiang Wei-shui was a doctor and also founder of the Taiwanese Cultural Association and the Taiwanese People's Party -- the island's first legal political party. He was imprisoned several times under Japanese rule and is seen as one of the most important figures in the colonial-era resistance movement. He died in 1931 at the age of 40 and the freeway from Taipei to Suao in his native Yilan County is named after him. 