As Latvia’s transition to the Euro approaches, the final circulation 1 Lats coin has been minted, and the theme is ‘parity’. The reverse indicates that the coin has a value of 1 Lat, or, by the official exchange rate, 1.42 Euro.

The artists for the coin are Ilmārs Blumbergs (graphic design) and Jānis Strupulis (plaster model). The coin has a mintage of 500,000, and was minted at Münze Österreich (Austria).

Overall, there have been 24 different 1 Lats coins minted, the standard 1 Lats coin featuring a salmon (first minted in 1992), and 23 ‘special’ Lats, featuring varied designs – including storks, ants, mushrooms, toads, and many other images from Latvian folklore.

Bank of Latvia website: http://www.bank.lv