The Bank of Lithuania issued into circulation a 50 euro collector coin, dedicated to coinage in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) on 29th of January 2015. This is the first collector Lithuanian euro coin.

“This small gold coin, of the highest fineness, weighing almost 8 grams, or, speaking in GDL terms, worth slightly more than 2 ducats, symbolically connects two numismatic traditions. The coin’s reverse depicts the old symbols of the engravers and minters who worked half a century ago, which perfectly match the inscription ‘Lietuva’, the euro symbol and the symbol of our Mint, as well as this year’s date,” said Vitas Vasiliauskas, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, during the coin presentation event at the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum, in the Hall of the Treasury of the Grand Dukes in Vilnius.

“It is very symbolic that the first collector Lithuanian euro coin is presented in the residency of the Grand Dukes, which, from the end of the 14^th c., was not only the Treasury, but also where the coins were minted. Many have been found during archaeological excavations,” notes Dr. Vydas Dolinskas, Director of the Museum of the Palace of the Grand Dukes.

The obverse of the new 50 euro coin depicts in an original manner the Vytis — as a combination of a historical coin and the reverse side of a minting tool. On the edge of the coin, the inscriptionMONETA LITUANIAE is engraved twice. The weight of the coin — 7.78 grams, or 1/4 of an ounce.

The graphic design of this gold coin was created by Liudas Parulskis and the plaster model was made by Giedrius Paulauskis.

The GDL’s coins were first minted at the end of the 14^th c. Numismatics expert Stanislovas Sajauskas, in the leaflet issued together with the coin, claims that Sigismund Augustus was a particularly significant innovator in the coinage of the GDL. In Vilnius, in Vokiečių street, he opened a modern mint where masters from Western Europe worked. Sigismund Augustus minted the GDL’s first gold coin — the ducat (florin).

The 50 euro collector coins were minted by the UAB Lithuanian Mint; their mintage — 5,000 pcs.

On the obverse of the coin, the stylised coat of arms of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytis, is depicted as a combination of the historical coin and the back (negative) side of its minting instrument; there is also the mirror image LIETUVA (LITHUANIA).

The reverse of the coin features marks of mint governors, mint-masters and coin die engravers. There is the inscription LIETUVA in the centre of the coin, the current mintmark of the Lithuanian Mint on the left side of the inscription, and the denomination and year of issue –– 50 €, 2015 — at the bottom.

Gold Au 999
Diameter 22.30 mm, Weight 7.78 g
Quality proof
The edge of the coin bears twice the inscription MONETA LITUANIAE.

Designed by Liudas Parulskis and Giedrius Paulauskis.

Source of information: Bank of Lithuania: www.lb.lt