On Thursday, 14 November, the Bank of Latvia issues a silver collector coin "365" offering intellectual and scientific reflection on the topic of time and change. This coin puts a symbolic full stop to the era of the renewed lats.

The artist of the coin is Paulis Liepa. The coin was struck by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt(the Netherlands). It features a circle symbolising 360 + 5 degrees and thus incorporating also the time reference.

An interesting rebus of fractions has also been encoded in the coin, based on the number 4: seasons, points on the compass, quarters. The obverse of the coin depicts concentric circular lines symbolising one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one month and one year, while on the reverse the artist transforms a shiny sector in the diagram of a circle into a symbol for 1 lats.

The collector coin "365" is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia. The maximum mintage of the coin is limited to 5 000.

The coin will be on sale at the Bank of Latvia (at the Cashier's Offices at K. Valdemāra iela 1B in Riga and, starting from Thursday afternoon, at the Liepāja and Daugavpils Branches) and such traditional points of coin sale as banks and souvenir and jewellery shops. The price of the coin at the Bank of Latvia's Cashier's Offices is 22.31 lats.

How You may know, on January 2014 Latvia will become the 18th member of the eurozone, following neighbouring Estonia by two years.

The banknotes throughout the euro area are similar, however the reverse of the coins is chosen by each country separately (national side). This makes the creation process of the coins more complicated, but the users of these coins, especially collectors, find interest in their diversity.

Now it is time for beautiful Latvian euro coins! The folk-maid ("Milda"), from original Latvian First Republic silver 5 lats coin (first minted in 1929), will be depicted on the national side of the Latvian one-euro and two-euro coins, whereas the 50-, 20- and 10-euro cent coins will feature the great coat of arms of Latvia and the 5-, 2- and 1-euro-cent coins the small coat of arms of Latvia.

About mintage:
 
On July 31, 2013 the Baden-Württemberg State Mint (Stuttgart, Germany), launched the minting of Latvian euro coins. Latvia is planning to mint 400,280,000 coins. It will mintcoins in 3 qualities:

• 400,000,000 coins for circulation including starter kits
• 240,000 coins for BU sets (30,000 coins of each denomination)
• 40,000 Proof coins (5,000 coins of each denomination)

To ger more information about Latvian euro coins, click here.

We mentioned yesterday about people queueing to get the last Latvian 1 lats coin, but today we can report that 1 Lats Parity coin retail price in numismatic stores in Riga and on eBay increased by 50%, and now cost LVL 1.50 (ab. USD 3.00 and EUR 2.13).

If we will gonna look on previous commemorative circulation 1 lats coins, than usually retailers sold this coin by 10% higher than The Bank of Latvia, so such a sharp increase in price on 1 Lats Parity Coin is unusual. 

1 lats Parity coin was sold out in The Bank of Latvia  less than in one day, so today people was queueing in local numismatic stores. On the twitter The Bank of Latvia told that they sold thow their branches 1/2 of the 500 000 coins. Other 250 000 are in Latvian commercial banks. But as we know, there is also hard to get them.

It is possible that shortly prices can go even higher, up to 100% and even more, beacause of such a high local demand.

As we wrote in one of our last articles, on 6th November The Bank of Latvia issued last commemorative or so called "special" circulation 1 lats Parity Coin, featuring the exchange rate of the lats to the euro on the reverse (1 Lats = 1,42 Euro). 
With this coin ends the programme of The Bank of Latvia of diversifying the design of Latvian money, from year 2001 issuing 1-lats coins depicting signs, images and events characteristic of Latvia.

Majority of previous such a "special" 1 lats coin mintage was 1 000 000 coins, but as fron the January 2014 Latvian will implement euro, The Bank of Latvia made decision to mint only half or 500 000 coins, because all Latvian circulation coins will be melted.

Only first special circulation 1 Lats coins was minted in less than 1 000 000 pcs. - 1 Lats Stork coin (year 2001) was minted in 250 000 pcs and 1 Lats Ant coin (year 2003) - minted in 500 000 pcs.

People in Latvia really liked this 1 Lats coins, not even being numismatists or regular collectors.
But even this can not explain the fact that there was such a big queue - bigger then for the most popular re minted Latvian silver 5 Lats coins (year 2012). 

On the twitter The Bank of Latvia wrote that they sold thow their branches 1/2 of the 500 000 coins. Other 250 000 are in Latvian commercial banks. But as we know, there is also hard to get them.

Of course some of the people just wanted to buy some coins to fill their special circulation 1 Lats collection, but majority was buying 1 Lats Parity Coin in packs (hundreds and more!). This is so called speculators, who are waiting that coins will go up in the price. Maybe they are even waiting price as high as for the 1 Lats Ant coin (year 2003) that cost EUR 14,23 and 1 Lats Stork coin (year 2001) which currently cost EUR 21,34 (their are still legal circulation coins).

This show that also upcoming Latvian commemorative 2 euro coins can be as popular as special commemorative 1 lats coin. We think people in Latvia will like it. 

Next year the Bank of Latvia will continue perpetuate on coins Latvian cultural and historical heritage. But not on the Latvian Collector Lats coins, but on Latvian Collector euro coins and Latvian Commemorative 2 euro coins. As always in the plans of The Bank of Latvia are to issue 5 to 6 collector/commemorative coins per year.

In 2014 are planned to mint FIVE Latvian Collector euro coins, covering the following Latvian historical and cultural events:

1) Latvian 5 euro Old Stender coin, dedicated to the 300 Year Anniversary of Gotthard Friedrich Stender (1714-1796) - the first Latvian grammarian and lexicographer, founder of the Latvian secular literature in the 18th century. Read More -> ;

2) Latvian Collector coin dedicated to 150 Year Anniversary of Ainaži Naval School -  the cradle of Latvian professional navigation. Read More -> ;

3) Latvian Collector coin dedicated to "The White Book" written by Jāņis Jaunsudrabiņš - Latvian writer, novelist and painter. Read More -> ;

4) Latvian Collector coin dedicated to Kurzemes baroka (Courland Baroque). Read More -> ;

5) Latvian Collector coin dedicated to 25 Year Anniversary of The Baltic Way or Baltic Chain (also Chain of Freedom, Estonian: Balti kett, Latvian: Baltijas ceļš, Lithuanian: Baltijos kelias, Russian: Балтийский путь) Read More -> .

Currently we know only the themes of upcoming coins, and no information regarding on which exactly kind of collector silver and gold, and Commemorative 2 euro coins this themes will gona be shown.

On 6 November, the Bank of Latvia is issuing a new special 1-lats circulation coin, the Parity Coin, featuring the exchange rate of the lats to the euro on the reverse. It is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia. These coins will be put into circulation like any other circulation money, reaching commercial and other enterprises as well as population through banks.

The coin has been designed by Ilmārs Blumbergs and modelled by Jānis Strupulis. The new 1-lats coins are struck at Münze Österreich (Austria).

The Bank of Latvia commenced minting special 1-lats circulation coins 12 years ago, and theParity Coin concludes the cycle. As of 1 January 2014, Latvia will introduce the euro and become a fully-fledged member of the Economic and Monetary Union; nevertheless, the tradition to issue special circulation coins will continue. A coin with an image of a stork opened the series, and since 2004 a new coin to mark a special occasion has been put into circulation twice a year (click here for the details on full set of special 1-lats circulation coins). The Parity Coin is the 23rd special 1-lats circulation coin.

Previously we was talking about the latest and last Latvian gold "Lats" coin - 1 Lats, "Oh, holy Lestene!" (2013).  It is small coin, only 1.2442 g. Of course if You are coin collector, and if You have an opportunity, maybe You would like to collect one style coins. And if You like small gold coins, than You have a chance to look closer on Latvian smallest gold coin collection programmes.

1 Lats, "Oh, holy Lestene!" are issued under The Bank of Latvia Collector Coins programme "Treasures of the World". In this programme You could also find one more small gold coin - 1 Lats, "The Golden Apple Tree" (2007).

But there are two more similar Collector Coins programmes of The Bank of Latvia -  "The Smallest Gold Coin of the World" and "History of Gold":

Next year Latvia will become the 18th member of the eurozone, so there are left only few issues of Latvian national commemorative Lats coins (from the next year only commemorative Latvian eurocoins). 

This time we would like to acquaint You with, the the latest and last, golden lats coin - 1 Lats "Oh, holy Lestene!".

Coin is issued under The Bank of Latvia Collector Coinsprogramme "Treasures of the World" and are dedicated to the Lestene Church - once one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Latvia and the spectacular historic religious building in the Latvian countryside.
 

First time, nowday popular in Latvia folk-maid "Milda", apeard in year 1929 on 5 Lats silver coin. It was re-minted twice: in 1931 and 1932. 

Next time it took 71 years for "Milda" to came back on Latvian coins. Firth rebirh of folk-maid was in 2003, but now on Latvian gold collectible 5 Lats coin. It was issued by The Bank of Latvia Collector Coins programme - "The Smallest Gold Coins of the World". Coins design was based on original silver 5 Lats coin.

The Second rebirth was in 2012.To mark the 90th anniversary of the Bank of Latvia, the Bank of Latvia issues a new silver 5-lats coin using the original electrotypes produced in 1929 and employed in minting this coin in 1929, 1931 and 1932. The coin has its own unique history and its happy journey continues. 

This coin was so popular among latvians, that people was standing all day long in lines to get this coin! It was sold less than in a day!

The Third rebirth we can see now - Latvian folk-maid will apear on one-euro and two-euro Latviancoins national side. 
It is also based on original silver 5 Lats coin. We like it. And we hope all Europe will like it to.