Latvijas Banka's collector coin "Smith Forges in the Sky", dedicated to Latvian folk songs, features some lines from a Latvian folk song and the drawings personifying objects of nature and natural phenomena. As this is a very common motif in folk songs, this particular category of folk songs takes up quite a lot of space in Krišjānis Barons (1835–1923) Cabinet of Folk Songs, featured on the list of Registered Heritage of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme since 2001. Thunder or the Heavenly Smith is accompanied by the Sun and the daughters of the Sun, the Moon and an array of stars.
The graphic design of the collector coin was created by artist Edgars Folks, and the author of the plaster model was Ligita Franckeviča.
Photo and description of the coin: https://monetas.bank.lv/en/coins/smith-forges-in-the-sky.
3D model of the coin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjJRUOuwSw.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCUsZgCkYwY.
Latvia is proud of its coin design created over more than 25 years. Latvian banknotes and coins, with over 50 best Latvian artists having participated in designing them, are included in the Cultural Canon of Latvia, and many coins have received high international recognition and a number of prestigious awards. These coins are considered to be a perfect gift promoting Latvia's culture, art and innovative design.
One of the purposes of the silver and gold collector coins is to tell the story of essential events in Latvian history, personalities, achievements in culture and philosophical categories to people in Latvia and abroad. Each coin carries a laconic message communicating rich content. It has been developed in intensive creative work managed by the Coin Design Commission of Latvijas Banka, made up of the employees of Latvijas Banka, outstanding Latvian experts of art and culture, and artists.
At the coin artist award ceremony, Jānis Blūms, Member of the Board of Latvijas Banka and Head of the Cash Department of Latvijas Banka, emphasized that the Coin Design Commission has been working on coin programmes and themes in a systemic way. Coin designers, in their turn, are seeking ways how to turn the above ideas into real coins and show both to us ourselves and to people all over the world the values and treasures of Latvia. "And how to help each and every collector coin find its owner – be it a gift to mark special events in a person's life, e.g. baptism, wedding or anniversaries; an investment in artistic values and precious metals; an addition to numismatic collections in Latvia and the world over," said Jānis Blūms.
At the event, the expert commission of the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMM) named the collector coin "Eduards Veidenbaums" Latvia's best coin in terms of artistic solution in 2017.
From 3 April to 17 April 2018, Latvijas Banka, in cooperation with the news portal Delfi, organised the public vote "Latvia's Coin of the Year 2017". The above vote takes place on a regular basis; it is an important annual event in Latvian coin art.
Six collector coins dedicated to Latvian culture, history and people were issued in 2017. "Fairy Tale Coin III. The Old Man's Mitten" (video), "Latgale Congress" (video), "Gold Brooches. The Horseshoe Fibula" (video), "Eduards Veidenbaums" (video), "Smith Forges in the Sky" (video) and "The First Session of LPNC" (video).
The "Fairy Tale Coin II. Hedgehog's Coat" (information about the coin; video),was named "Latvia's Coin of the Year 2016". The author of its graphic design was Gundega Muzikante and the author of its plaster model was Ligita Franckeviča.
Since 2004, when Latvijas Banka organised the first public vote, the following coins have been named Latvia's Coin of the Year: "Coin of the Time", "Baron Münchhausen", "Coin of Digits", "Coin of Time II", "Lucky Coin", "Coin of Water", "Amber Coin", "Fog mists the pane", "5 lats silver collector coin", "Baby coin", "Baroque of Courland", "The Fairy Tale Coin I. Five Cats" and "Fairy Tale Coin II. Hedgehog's Coat". The collector coin "Baroque of Courland" (2014) is still available at e-monetas.lv and Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices.
Since 1993, Latvijas Banka has issued 98 lats collector coins and 26 euro collector coins with over 50 Latvian artists having participated in designing them.
Latvian coins have earned high international respect and a number of prestigious awards; moreover, the "Coin of Latvia" won the international 2010 Coin of the Year Award at the contest organised by US Krause Publications and its magazine World Coin News. In 2015, the silver collector coin "The Baltic Way" was recognised as the Best Contemporary Event Coin at this contest. This year, the collector coin "National Entrepreneur" was announced "The Most Artistic Coin of the Year" at the contest.