Coin of Time III

The Bank of Latvia has issued the third, green, bimetallic coin of the "Coin of Time" triptych. The obverse of each of the triptych coins features a distinctive flower of the heraldic rose, the symbol of love and beauty, and a token of respect for the discoverer of niobium Heinrich Rose who launched his career in Latvia (letters H and R). The central part of the niobium disk of the reverses, on the other hand, has been designated for recording events or important facts of one's life or for engraving a message for the recipient of the coin.

The reverse of the "Coin of Time III" has been struck in rich green niobium encircled by a silver ring featuring the phases of the Moon. From time immemorial, people have believed that God bestows the day upon the living as a gift. "Beautiful as a day", states a popular medieval adage. Night-time, on the other hand, the realm of the Moon, is relegated to the supernatural and the mystical. To this day, many believe that each lunar phase lends its own distinctive energy to a person's life, even though there is no scientific evidence for this.

The lunar (from luna, Latin for moon) phases are useful for counting the time, so no wonder that the lunar calendar is among the very oldest. The modern era knows a variety of lunar calendars (agricultural, health, etc.), which are often compared to horoscopes, recognising that the Moon, while not ruling a person's life, still influences it.

Many have observed that tide and ebb have a powerful global influence. The gravitational forces of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun make the swell of the water rise and drop periodically. Earth's atmosphere also experiences ebbs and tides, which affect the weather as well as move the magma, preventing it from hardening and at times making it burst to the surface of the Earth in the form of molten lava.

The gentle moonlight is in complete contrast to these scenes of demonic interplay among the elements. In classical Latvian culture, the most popular depiction of this golden heavenly object is the art-nouveau-inspired poem by Aspazija, entitled "Mēness starus stīgo" (Streaming Moonlight), which, in 1901, found its beautiful musical complement in Emīls Dārziņš's composition.

The green niobium of the reverse of the coin features forests, fields, rocks, and watery wastes of our planet, viewed in a circle as if from up high. The symbolic circle provides a change of scale from the global to the more human, as it evokes associations with the Advent or Midsummer Solstice wreaths, a tangible representation of the great routes incessantly travelled by the Sun, the Earth, and the faithful companion of the latter, the Moon.

Coin of Time III
Obverse: 
A symbol of a heraldic rose with letters H and R beneath it is placed in the central part of the coin. The inscription LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA (Republic of Latvia) is arranged in a semicircle at the top of the outer ring, the inscription of the divided year 2010 is situated on the left and right from the coin's centre, and beneath it there is a semicircular inscription VIENS 1 LATS (One 1 Lats).
Reverse: 
The outer ring features representations of the eight lunar phases, and the centre of the circle depicts a bird's-eye view of various landscape elements, arranged in the form of a wreath.

Booklet

Coin of Time III
Coin of Time III
Package (box, booklet, roll, etc.): 
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
LV118CM1
Value: 
€65
Mintage: 
7000
Quality: 
Face value: 
Material: 
Material: 
Material: 

Bimetal

Central circle diameter: 
23mm
Central circle metal: 
Central circle weigth: 
7.15g
Outer circle metal: 
Outer circle fitness: 
0.9
Outer circle weigth: 
10g
Weight: 
17.15g
Diameter: 
34mm
Year: 
Shape and style: 
Shape and style: 
Edge: 
Designer: 
Designer: 
Graphic design: 
Plaster model: 
Source of information: 
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Price: EUR66.61