Latvia: Last commemorative €2 coin in the Historical Regions series highlights the region of Zemgale

The Bank of Latvia will issue, on the 26th September, their new two-euro commemorative coin that is part of a four-coin commemorative series which highlights the Baltic state’s historical regions as outlined by Article 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. As a contribution to Latvia’s centenary, Latvijas Banka has devised these four euro commemorative coins featuring the coats of arms of Latvia’s cultural and historical regions. Included in the set are coins representing the cultural and historical regions of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, and lastly, Zemgale.

The symbols, which are part of the designs on all four coins, are incorporated in the coats of arms established by the Regulations on Coats of Arms of Latvia’s Regions, which was adopted on the 26th April 1930, during the country’s first era of independence. The crests and insignias are related to historical developments in the present-day territory of Latvia. In 2012, a special law was passed to stipulate legal protection of these coats of arms as national symbols. They were originally created by the artist Kārlis Krauze (1904–1942) in 1930 with the coat of arms of Zemgale featuring a silver elk on a blue background.

Zemgale is the only cultural and historical region in Latvia that borders Kurzeme, Vidzeme, and Latgale. It ranks among the most fertile Northern European regions, and its cereal fields have brought prosperity to the region for many centuries. The area is also well-known for its abundance of rivers and rich cultural history, in which a major role is played by Semigallians’ fight for freedom in the 13th century.

The history of the coat of arms of Zemgale is linked with the heraldic symbols of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from the 16th–18th centuries. The origins of the duchy’s coat of arms date back to the middle of the 1560s when the oldest seal of the duchy already bore the representation of the coat of arms (1565) and depicted the symbol of Semigallia. More specifically, the quartered shield featured two elks, next to two lions, emerging out of the shield edges, with only the upper parts of their bodies featured. An elk is not a common symbol in heraldry and its presence in the duchy’s coat of arms symbolised the region’s natural wealth. The representation of Semigallia’s coat of arms was infrequently used in ancient times, but the coat of arms of its largest city Jelgava has been featuring an elk’s head since 1573. In reality, the depiction looks more like a deer’s head than that of an elk in its earlier representations, just like the coat of arms of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Uncertainties surrounding the depiction of the animal persisted throughout the lifetime of the duchy, although it was as early as 1579 that the figure featured on the coat of arms was clearly called an elk in the description of the coat of arms of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Since the 19th century, the representation of the elk was made clear and no longer raised doubts for Latvians.

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The new two-euro coins are minted by Staatliche Münze Baden-Württemberg (Germany) on behalf of the Bank of Latvia. The graphic design of the national side of the new commemorative coin has been created by artist Laimonis Šēnbergs and the plaster model was created by Jānis Strupulis. Laimonis Šēnbergs is the deputy chairman of the Coin Design Commission of Latvijas Banka and creator of the graphic designs of several prize-winning collector coins. Jānis Strupulis has created the graphic design of two coins and plaster models of several dozens of Latvijas Banka’s collector and circulation coins. The national side features the inscription LATVIJA placed below the depiction of the historic crest representing Zemgale, which is centred on the obverse.

The common reverse side of the new euro commemorative coins, which bear the nominal value of 2 EURO, is the work of artist Luc Luycx and is the same as that of other two-euro circulation coins, including diameter and weight.

Denom. Metal Weight Diameter Quality Maximum Mintage
€2  Bi-metallic 8.5 g 25.75 mm Uncirculated  500,000
€2  Bi-metallic 8.5 g 25.75 mm Brilliant Unc. 2,000
€2  Bi-metallic 8.5 g 25.75 mm Brilliant Unc. 5,000




The total mintage of the two-euro commemorative coin dedicated to Zemgale in souvenir packing is 7,000 coins, of which 2,000 coins are included in a special four-coin set. Thus, it will be possible to purchase the remaining mintage of 5,000 coins in Brilliant Uncirculated quality in special single-coin souvenir packing.

Numismatic products are available for purchase online via Latvijas Banka’s collector coin and numismatic product site, which offers a wide range of collector coins and other numismatic products of the Latvijas Banka.

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