On Tuesday, 31 October, Latvijas Banka will issue a silver collector coin "100 Years of Basketball in Latvia" dedicated to the popularity and success of this widely known sport.
Basketball is one of the most popular and easily accessible types of sport in the world. It not only keeps crowds of fans on the edge of their seats, but also attracts and motivates sports enthusiasts to develop their physical abilities. All you need is a basket, a ball and some willpower. Basketball has changed people's lives, especially in the US, by giving young people a chance to escape poverty. It has a profound impact on different areas of life: culture, music, television, fashion industry. In our country, basketball baskets are seen in the yards of residential buildings, outdoor basketball courts are available to everyone, while the name of Kristaps Porziņģis is well-known beyond our borders. In Latvia, basketball is played a lot both at professional and amateur levels or as a fun game. 2023 marks a centenary of basketball in Latvia since the Latvian Basketball Federation was founded in 1923.
Latvia boasts significant achievements in this sport. For example, our national team won the First European Men's Basketball Championship in 1935. Recent years have also seen several notable achievements on the international arena. The performance of the Latvian men's basketball team ending its 2023 FIBA World Cup appearance in the 5th place has surprised many and has solidified Latvia's basketball on the global map. Meanwhile, the Latvian 3x3 basketball team won the first Olympic Champion title in this sport in 2021 and bronze medals in the 2023 World Cup.
The author of the coin's graphic design is artist Paulis Liepa. The design is based on a message about basketball as a strategic game. Both the team and the strategy of the game, as well as the ability of the players to cooperate and use the strengths of the team in the best possible way play a significant role in it. There is no victory without a smart strategy.
The coin's obverse displays a basketball basket with a gold-plated ball on the basket's rim, thus keeping the intrigue about the ball falling into the basket and the team getting their victory points.
On the coin's reverse, the artist has included the tactical scheme of a basketball game. Interestingly, this drawing was a hot topic among basketball fans trying to understand the intended combination. The inscription "20:23" symbolises not only the year of the coin's issue but also the score of the game displayed on the scoreboard, assuming it is an away game for the Latvian team.
How to purchase the coin
The collector coin will be available for purchase only on the website e-monetas.lv from 12:00 (noon) on 31 October.
Mail delivery or personal pickup from Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices at Bezdelīgu iela 3, Riga, will be possible. To smooth out the customer flow on the premises, the order pickup at Latvijas Banka Cashier's Offices will be organised according to a balanced schedule.
The price of the coin is 84.00 euro; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 2 coins.
The mintage of the coin is 3000.
The coin has been struck by Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato S.p.A., a mint in Italy.