On Tuesday, 6 October, Latvijas Banka is issuing a silver collector coin "Modernism in Latvia. The 1960s".
|
For the attention of the media and interested parties! The purchase of coins will be possible only on the website e-monetas.lv from 12.00 (noon) on 6 October. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the new numismatic products will not be sold at the Cashier's Office of Latvijas Banka. It will be possible to receive the coins purchased on the website e-monetas.lv either by post or to pick them up at the Cashier's Office of Latvijas Banka. For the convenience of customers and to reduce the COVID-19-related risks, the time for picking up the coins purchased on the website e-monetas.lv has been extended to 20 business days. |
The new collector coin is dedicated to art in Latvia in the 1960s, known as the period of the Thaw, associated with the political developments of that time. The Thaw brought about hope for a higher degree of freedom and well-being; and culture and art also saw an opportunity of a relative revolution. Art forms created by the free-thinking artists flourished, therefore closer ideological control was retained over fine arts, while decorative and applied art and design segment could breathe and develop more freely. Hence, it was the design and architecture where modernism could thrive.
To show the characteristic trends of the above period, the coin features graphic elements from the works of some well-known authors of that time: architect Marta Zigrīda Staņa and artists Zina Ulste, Gunārs Kirke and Uldis Razums. The different graphic means of expression demonstrate the unifying phenomenon of modernism stylistics.
The graphic design of the collector coin "Modernism in Latvia. The 1960s" was created by artist Sandra Krastiņa, and the author of the plaster model was Jānis Strupulis. Fragments of the graphic design of a set of stationery paper (1968; the horse motif) created by Uldis Razums and a graphic motif from the cover of the record "Džeza festivāls 68" (Jazz Festival 68; 1986) created by Gunārs Kirke have been featured on the obverse, with frosting of three different levels of intensity and gold plated details of the motifs.
A fragment of the decor of the coffee set "Saulīte" (the Sun; 1964–1970) designed by Zina Ulste and a fragment of the blueprint of the residential building in Brīvības iela 313, Riga (1967), developed by Marta Zigrīda Staņa, Imants Jākobsons and Harolds Kanders have been featured on the reverse, with frosting of two different levels of intensity and gold plated details of the motifs.
Starting from 12.00 (noon) on 6 October, the new coin will be on sale online via e-monetas.lv, Latvijas Banka's website for purchases of collector coins and other numismatic products. The price of the coin via e-monetas.lv is 56.00 euro; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 4 coins. The maximum mintage of the coin is limited to 3 000. The coin has been struck by UAB Lietuvos monetų kalykla (Lithuania).
The collector coin "Modernism in Latvia. The 1960s" 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.