By Bank of Latvia ……
On Monday, 4 December, the Cashier’s Offices of the Bank of Latvia and the sales platform e-monetas.lv will launch the sale of the silver collector coin “The First Session of LPNC”. The coin is dedicated to the first session of the Latvian Provisional National Council (LPNC) held in Valka 100 years ago – one of the most significant events towards establishing Latvia’s statehood.
The graphic design of the collector coin “The First Session of LPNC” was created by artist Ivars Drulle. The coin was struck by the Royal Dutch Mint (the Netherlands).
The obverse of the coin features the Wi-Fi symbol, with an inscription “Long live the free and united Latvia!” arranged in two lines in a semi-circle above it. An inscription “Walka” is featured beneath the symbol, with the year 1917 placed below that. An extract from the LPNC’s appeal “To all Latvians!” in its historical spelling is featured on the reverse, arranged in a spiral, starting from the rim.
In November 2017, the territory of the present-day Latvia had been split by the battle-front of World War I already for more than two years and hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants – refugees from Kurzeme and Zemgale, workers of the plants evacuated from Riga, those mobilized in the army – were scattered across the vast territory of the Russian Empire.
After the fall of Riga to the German forces, Valka became the centre of Latvian social, political and cultural life. Those united by the desire to turn into reality the right of self-determination of the Latvian nation assembled there.
On 16–19 November (29 November–2 December, New Style) 1917, the first session of LPNC was held in Valka, with representatives of almost all major Latvian organisations and political parties taking part in it. In its appeal “To all Latvians!” and declaration “To countries and nations abroad” the Council urged Latvians to exercise their right to self-determination in their own state comprising Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale. Thus a powerful and explicit signal about the desire of the Latvian nation to have a sovereign state was sent from Valka. However, the situation at that point was not favorable for its full implementation.
The following year the LPNC continued its work towards Latvia’s independence, even when the German forces occupied the entire territory of Latvia and in Russia the Bolshevik regime increasingly blocked the Council’s work. Declaration of independent Republic of Latvia in Riga on 18 November 1918 finalized the course clearly outlined a year ago in Valka.
The first session of LPNC was a crucial event towards establishing Latvia’s statehood; therefore, the Latvian Bank is issuing a collector coin dedicated to its 100th anniversary.
The collector coin “The first session of LPNC” is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia, yet the release of such coins in circulation is highly unlikely, as they are in fact works of art and are in special demand among coin collectors and other interested parties. The maximum mintage of the coin is limited to 3,000.
The price of the coin at bank Cashier’s Offices is 45 euro.
On Saturday, 2 December, an international research conference “100th Anniversary of Latvian Provisional National Council” will be held at Valka Cultural Centre. The launching of the coin “The First Session of LPNC” is planned in the introductory part of the conference. On the conference day, its participants and guests as well as other interested parties will have an opportunity to buy the collector coin “The first session of LPNC” at Valka Tourist Information Bureau where a limited amount of coins will be available.
Beginning with 4 December, the new coin will be on sale at Latvian Bank Cashier’s Offices (K. Valdemāra iela 1B in Riga and Teātra iela 4 in Liepāja) as well as online via the bank’s collector coin and other numismatic product online sales platform at e-monetas.lv, which offers a wide range of collector coins and other numismatic products issued by the bank. At e-monetas.lv purchases can be made by individual customers and companies in Latvia.
In close cooperation with JSC Swedbank, the possibility to pay by VISA, VISA Electron, MasterCard and Maestro payment cards as well as via the internet banks of JSC Swedbank, JSC Citadele banka and JSC SEB banka has been ensured. All purchased collector coins and numismatic products can be collected at Bank of Latvia Cashier’s Offices in Riga and Liepāja (for their addresses, see https://www.bank.lv/en/about-us/cashier-s-office) as well as by using delivery services of SJSC Latvijas Pasts, within the territory of Latvia. It is most likely to suit the needs of customers, e.g. from more distant regions, who are busy on the initial days of launching a new coin or due to other reasons cannot visit the Cashier’s Offices. As of 30 November the numismatic products purchased online are also delivered to individual customers in most EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The number of countries for the international deliveries will be increased.
The coin will also be available at such traditional points of sale as numismatic shops, book stores and souvenir and jewelry shops (for their addresses, see https://monetas.bank.lv/images/stories/pielikumi/nauda/Monetu-tirdzniecibas-vietas.pdf).
