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Courland
Face value: 1 lats.
Weight: 31.47 g; diameter: 38.61 mm.
Metal: silver, fineness .925; quality: proof.
Struck in 2003 by Rahapaja Oy (Finland).
Artists: Arvids Priedite (graphic design), Ligita Franckevica (plaster model).
Obverse
The coat of arms of the Duchy of Kurzeme and Zemgale is placed in the upper
part of the coin, with a ship in the process of building beneath it. The
inscription 1 LATS, with the year 2003 inscribed in a semi-circle beneath it, is
at the bottom of the obverse.
Reverse
Weighers of hemp are depicted against a background of a brick wall and an
iron foundry. The inscription KURZEME is arranged in a semi-circle at the bottom
of the coin.
Edge
The inscriptions LATVIJAS BANKA (Bank of Latvia) and LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA (Republic
of Latvia), separated by a dot.
The Bank of Latvia proceeds with its largest national collector coin
programme Latvia. Times and Values, which consists of several series.
The second series Time with three coins dedicated to the three parts
of Latvia depicts its history in the European and global context.
The obverse of the coin Kurzeme (Courland) features weighers of hemp
against a background of a brick wall and an iron foundry. It is a symbolic story
of the prosperity of the Duchy of Kurzeme and Zemgale in the 17th century, when
trade flourished, iron foundries and other manufactures developed and excellent
samples of the art of construction were created during the time of Duke Jacob.
The coin's reverse features the coat of arms of the Duchy of Kurzeme and
Zemgale, with a ship in the process of building below it. It reminds us of
Courlanders who were typical seafarers of their time with colonial claims, as
well as of shipbuilding traditions, which had started to develop several times
in Kurzeme, then died away to revive later again.
The coin was designed by Arvids Priedite and modelled by Ligita Franckevica.
