By Bank of Latvia ….
On Tuesday, 28 March, the Bank of Latvia will issue a new 5-euro silver collector coin – “Fairy Tale Coin III: The Old Man’s Mitten“.
This is the third collector coin in the series “Fairy Tale Coins“, which is dedicated to Latvian fairy tales. The first two coins in this series were “Fairy Tale Coin I: Five Cats“, issued in 2015, and “Fairy Tale Coin II: The Hedgehog’s Coat“, issued in 2016.
The coin celebrates fairy tale about an old man’s mitten, with its message being communicated through a seemingly funny and innocent yet somewhat sadly-ending story. The lesson of wise living is presented in a metaphorical form: in the name of universal happiness, every human being must learn to include all living things in the circle of their respect, compassion and empathy, to lend a helping hand to the miserable, to support and to assist.
The author of the coin’s graphic design is artist Arvīds Priedīte, and this is his 14th collector coin design. The plaster model has been made by Jānis Strupulis, co-author of many collector coins.
The collector coin “Fairy Tale Coin III: The Old Man’s Mitten” has been struck by UAB Lithuanian Mint (Lietuvos monetų kalykla). The obverse shows a patterned colorful mitten, with the lower parts of a bear and a wolf protruding from it; featured on the obverse are also a fly, a rabbit and a mouse. The reverse of the coin bears the images of fairy tale heroes bear, wolf, mouse and rabbit joining in a jolly dance and a fly fluttering in between them.
The coin is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia, yet its release in circulation is unlikely, for by nature collector coins are works of art, enjoying high demand from the numismatic community and other interested parties. The coin’s maximum mintage is limited to 10,000.
The price of the coin at the Bank’s Cashier’s Offices is 47.00 euro, where it will be on sale as of 28 March (K. Valdemāra iela 1B in Riga and Teātra iela 3 in Liepāja). It can also be reserved via the new collector coin and other numismatic products online under the Banknotes and Coins Section at www.bank.lv. The most important advantage this innovative service offers to its customers is the opportunity to buy new coins and numismatic products at the most convenient time and without waiting in lines. It is most likely to suit the needs of customers, e.g. from regions, who are busy on initial days of new coin issuances or who cannot visit the Cashier’s Offices due to other reasons. If the demand for coin is high, as has been the case previously, coins for reservation are quickly out of stock. Notably, upon launching a safe and convenient system this year, the Latvian Bank will offer coins also via an e-trading platform.
The coin will be available also at such traditional points of sale as coin shops, book stores and souvenir and jewelry shops (https://monetas.bank.lv/images/stories/pielikumi/nauda/Monetu-tirdzniecibas-vietas.pdf). Collector coins and other numismatic products issued by Bank of Latvia are for sale also online from the JSC “Latvijas Pasts“.
Information about collector coins available from bank Cashier’s Offices is provided at https://monetas.bank.lv/en/coins-for-sale. This site shows that a vast range of thematically and artistically diverse coins are still available. Information about the Bank of Latvia’s Coin Programme 2017 is available at https://monetas.bank.lv/en/coins-for-sale.
