The Animals of the Provinces series, released in 2014–2015, will reach its conclusion on 8 June with the launch of the collector coin paying tribute to the emblematic lynx of Tavastia. The obverse of the five-euro collector coin depicts the lynx, while the reverse bears the historical coat of arms of Tavastia.
The collector coin paying tribute to the lynx, the provincial animal of Tavastia, is part of a series of collector coins struck in honour of the emblematic animals of Finland's historical provinces by Mint of Finland. The series is minted by decision of the Ministry of Finance.
The five-euro coin released in June will be the third coin dedicated to the province of Tavastia. The first provincial coin of Tavastia, released in 2011, paid tribute to the province's ancient hunting traditions. The second coin was launched as part of the Buildings of the Provinces series in 2013 and honoured the Church of St. Lawrence – a gathering place of the Tavastians for more than a millennium.
The series of collector coins dedicated to the emblematic animals of Finland's historical province has built on the success of Mint of Finland's previous provincial coins. According to Communications Director Henna Karjalainen, this popularity is largely a result of respect for history and tradition, values represented by provincial collector coins. “The Animals of the Provinces series has been well received by passionate collectors and occasional collector coin shoppers alike,” says Karjalainen.
The decree of the Ministry of Finance on the provincial animal coins is available here (in Finnish) http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2015/20150003
New lynx coin also included in Animals of the Provinces collection purse
A total of nine collector coins have been released in the Animals of the Provinces series in 2014–2015: the Black-Throated Loon of Savonia, Cuckoo of Karelia, White-Tailed Eagle of Åland, Fox of Finland Proper, Beaver of Satakunta, Reindeer of Lapland, Hedgehog of Uusimaa, Stoat of Ostrobothnia and Lynx of Tavastia. A collection purse including one of each Animals of the Provinces coin in UNC quality will be released at the same time as the lynx coin of Tavastia.
The mintages of the base-metal lynx coin with a nominal value of EUR 5 will be 10,000 proof-quality coins and 35,000 UNC coins. Collector coins have a diameter of 27.25 millimetres and weigh 9.8 grams. The obverse side of the provincial animal coin is designed by Erkki Vainio and the reverse by Nora Tapper.
Proof-quality, finished collector coins are packaged in a protective transparent casing set in a package that tells the coin's story. The price of a proof-quality collector coin is EUR 22. Five hundred of each UNC-quality collector coin will be wrapped in numbered certificates of authenticity and sold at a price of EUR 10 each. Provincial coins can be purchased for their nominal value in purses of ten, costing EUR 50. The nine-coin Animals of the Provinces collector purse is also sold at nominal value for EUR 45.
The new provincial coin of Tavastia and Animals of the Provinces collector purse will be available to advance order from the Mint of Finland online shop on 25 May. Actual sales by Mint of Finland and its retailers will start on the coin's release date of 8 June.
For more information, please contact:
Auli Mikkonen
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Mint of Finland
+358 400 660 5900
[email protected]
Mint of Finland Group designs, markets and manufactures coins, blanks, collector coins and special coins as well as coinages. Mint of Finland Group is the strongest mint in the euro zone and one of the largest global exporters of coins. The company is owned by the Republic of Finland. You can see how coins are produced at the About a Coin exhibition at the Heureka Science Centre. For more information about the 2015 events, please visit www.mint.fi
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