The graphic design of the collector coin which is a miniature piece of art was created by artist Frančeska Kirke, also the author of the commemorative 1 lats coin featuring a horseshoe and the collector coin "Basketball".
The coin ""Baltars". Porcelain" has been minted by UAB Lietuvos monetų kalykla (Lithuania). The graphic mark of "Baltars" is depicted on one side of the coin; the other side features the reproduction of the plate "Dance" by Romans Suta (1927). The coin has been struck in the shape of a flat plate.
One of the greatest art treasures in the Latvian Cultural Canon is the impressive achievements of "Baltars", the workshop where fine china was artistically painted in the 1920s. "Baltars" resulted from the idea of the Latvian painter, graphic artist and composition virtuoso Romans Suta (1896–1944) to create a cultural milieu corresponding to the era of modernism and its language of form. His intent mostly focused on interior design and applied arts where decorative ceramics was supposed to work as a peculiar accent of functionalist and constructivist aesthetics and ideology.
The masterpieces of decorative art made at "Baltars" matched the quality of the highest achievements of Art Deco and have become the pride of Latvian national culture. Latvijas Banka honours their cultural and historical significance by issuing a collector coin dedicated to "Baltars".
The collector coin ""Baltars". Porcelain" is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia, yet the release of such coins in circulation is highly unlikely, as they are in fact works of art and are in special demand among coin collectors and other interested parties. The maximum mintage of the coin is limited to 5 000.
The price of the coin at Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices is 53 euro. Beginning with 9 August the coin will be on sale at Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices (K. Valdemāra iela 1B in Riga and Teātra iela 3 in Liepāja); today from 11.00 it can also be reserved via the collector coin and other numismatic product online reservation service under the Banknotes and Coins Section (https://rezervetmonetu.bank.lv) of Latvijas Banka website www.bank.lv. The first and foremost advantage of the service is an opportunity for clients to buy new collector coins and different numismatic products offered online by Latvijas Banka at the most convenient time for them and without queuing up. It is most likely to suit the needs of customers, e.g. from regions, who are busy on the initial days of launching a new coin or cannot visit the Cashier's Offices of Latvijas Banka due to other reasons.
The coin will also be available at such traditional points of sale as coin shops, book stores and souvenir and jewellery shops (https://monetas.bank.lv/images/stories/pielikumi/nauda/Monetu-tirdzniecibas-vietas.pdf). Collector coins issued by Latvijas Banka and other numismatic products are for sale also online from the JSC "Latvijas Pasts" at http://old.pasts.lv/lv/veikals/.
Information about the collector coins currently on sale at Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices is available at https://monetas.bank.lv/en/coins-for-sale. It shows that a vast range of thematically and artistically diverse collector and commemorative coins are still available.
