The new 20 euro silver collector coin, issued by the Bank of Lithuania, was presented to the public in Meškonys, near Vilnius, not far from the Geographical Centre of Europe. The coin commemorates the Struve Geodetic Arc, which is used to establish the shape and size of the Earth.

“The interesting feature of this coin is the name of Meškonys and two other places in Lithuania, which are inscribed on the edge of the coin. These places are the location of three geodetic points, together with 31 other points in nine other states, which remind of the world-famous Struve Geodetic Arc, included by UNESCO into the World Heritage List. The List includes four objects that are all commemorated with collector coins issued by the Bank of Lithuania,” says Vitas Vasiliauskas, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania.

Another interesting thing about this coin: on one side of it are listed the names of all ten states in their original language (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova). These are the states, the territory of which is crossed by the 3,000 km long Struve Geodetic Arc.

“The Struve Geodetic Arc is one of the most remarkable attempts in human history to explore and determine the Earth’s shape and size,” writes Dr. Saulius Urbonas in the brochure issued together with the coin. The brochure explains that the Struve Geodetic Arc is a triangulation measurement chain, formed in 1816–1852, stretching from the 26° east longitude along the meridian from Hammerfest (Norway) on the shores of the Arctic Ocean to Ismail (Ukraine), by the Black Sea, i.e. from 4 °20’ to 70°40’ north latitude. The results of calculating the measurements of the triangulation nets’ fragments, for calculating the meridian’s arc, were systematised by Tartu University professor, long-time head of the University’s astronomy observatory, Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793–1864).

This calculation arc of the Earth’s meridian has great scientific and cultural value. Therefore, the Struve Geodetic Arc is immortalised and presented to the international public with 34 selected points. The points preserved in Lithuania are Meškonys, Paliepukai (both in the region of Vilnius) and Gireišiai (Rokiškis d.). In commemoration of them, the Bank of Lithuania’s collector coin has inscribed on the edge the following: GIREIŠIAI N55º54’09" E25º26’12" * MEŠKONYS N54º55’51" E25º19’00" * PALIEPIUKAI N54º38’04" E25º25’45" *.

The graphic projects and plaster models of the coin were made by Tadas Žebrauskas.

The 20 euro collector coin, dedicated to the Struve Geodetic Arc, was minted at the Lithuanian Mint, with a mintage of 3,000 pcs.

In 1998 the Bank of Lithuania issued a collector coin dedicated to Vilnius Old Town, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Later, two other heritage objects were commemorated: a coin dedicated to the Curonian Spit in 2004 and in 2005 — a coin dedicated to Kernavė.

The coin dedicated to the Struve Geodetic Arc is the fifth euro collector coin issued by the Bank of Lithuania this year.

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