The 500th birth anniversary of one of the most prominent noblemen of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), Mikołaj Radziwiłł “the Black”, is commemorated by the Bank of Lithuania with the issue of a 20 euro collector coin. It was presented to the public at the Vilnius Radziwiłł Museum.

“This is the first silver euro coin issued by the Bank of Lithuania. We are continuing the tradition of immortalising in Lithuanian coins famous people, distinguished in our nation. The themes of the new coins that we plan to issue will be varied. The Bank of Lithuania will aim to enliven coin collecting, thus piquing the interest of young people as well,” said Marius Jurgilas, Member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania.

Mikołaj Radziwiłł “the Black”, Duke of Olyka and Nesvizh, Marszałek of the GDL, Voivode of Vilnius and Chancellor of the GDL, born on 4 February 1515, was a political figure of extraordinary talent and exceptional brightness in the 16th c.

“In creating the portrait of Mikołaj Radziwiłł ‘the Black’ for this coin, I wanted to say that we only know about the past and its great heroes from fragments of history, which, as patches of our knowledge, cover the full view of previous lives,” said Rytis Belevičius, artist of the collector coin.

The reverse of the coin employs artistic means to depict a portrait of Mikołaj Radziwiłł “the Black”; next to is the coat-of-arms of the Radziwiłł family and, in a semicircle, are the words: MIKOŁAJ RADZIWIŁŁ THE BLACK, 500.

In the centre of the obverse of the coin — a stylised Vytis in a shield; the coin is decorated with a braid of decorative elements in a circle.

The edge of the coin bears the inscription HERE IS THE FAMILY THAT OUR HOMELAND, WHEN FALTERING, LEANED UPON.These are words on the Radziwiłł family from the piece “Vestuvinės idilijos šviesiausiajam kunigaikščiui” (Wedding Idylls for the Greatest Duke), by the 17th c. Lithuanian poet Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski.

The 20 euro coin is minted from 925 fineness silver, quality — proof, diameter 38.61 mm, weight 28.28 g, mintage 3,000 pcs. It was minted by UAB Lithuanian Mint.

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