By Mint of Finland ……
The second commemorative two-euro coin of Finland’s centenary was launched on 21 October 2017. The special coin pays tribute to Finland’s nature and is a part of the Finland 100 program celebrating the centenary of Finland’s independence. Like the silver Finnish Nature collector coin, the special coin will also take its design from the winning shot in the Blue and White special category of the Nature Photograph of the Year competition.
The special coin was launched at the Nature Photograph of the Year gala held at the Finlandia Hall on 21 October 2017.
“We are honored and overjoyed, speechless really, that a nature photograph will be stamped onto the special and collector coins. The photograph has been expertly rendered in metal, and we are extremely happy about the result,” says Kari Wallgren, President of the Finnish Nature Photography Association.
The winning photograph was shot by nature photographer Kari Auvinen. The commemorative coin’s reverse is identical to that of ordinary circulation coins. The national side of the coin bears the images from Auvinen’s photograph: the full moon over Harmaja and a crow gazing down on the world from its perch.
The crow symbolizes the modern Finnish character – an outwardly common but intelligent bird that reacts flexibly to new situations. As per the rules of the competition’s special category, the winning photograph was compiled from two shots. The Finnish Nature collector coin, released today in nominal values of EUR 10 and 20, bears the same design.
The design and release of special two-euro coins is up to the individual euro countries and the Central Bank of Europe approves their mintages. The total mintage of the special Finnish Nature two-euro coins will be 500,000, of which 11,000 will be finished to lustrous proof-quality. The proof-quality special Finnish Nature two-euro coins minted in Mint of Finland’s factory in Vantaa have been granted the Key Flag Symbol of Finnish origin issued by the Association for Finnish Work.
Each euro state is permitted to release two special two-euro coins into circulation each year. The special coins are legal tender everywhere in the eurozone, which means that vendors are obliged to accept them as payment. They are also available from retailers and the Mint of Finland online shop. Advance orders for the Finnish Nature special coins have been available from the Mint of Finland online shop since 5 October.
The first opportunity to purchase the new special coin was at the Nature Photograph of the Year gala, where a limited number of proof-quality special coins were available for sale. Deliveries of the special coins began Monday, 23 October.
