In 2014, the Latvian capital of Riga was selected as one of the cities to be the European Capital of Culture, and, to celebrate this honor, the Bank of Latvia has issued a special circulation 2 Euro coin – the first special 2 Euro coin to be issued since Latvia traded in the Euro for the Lat in January 2014.

The graphic design of the coin was created by Henrihs Vorkals, with Jānis Strupulis providing the design of the plaster model. The coin, with a mintage of 1 million, was minted by Staatliche Münzen Baden-Württemberg in Germany.

According to the Bank of Latvia website, “Each country in the euro area is entitled to issue two commemorative coins per year. Also, they are allowed to produce a third coin, provided that it is issued under a jointly organised programme. Latvia’s next 2 euro commemorative coins of special design are projected for 2015.”

For further information, please visit www.bank.lv