On 3 January 2017, Finland will release gold and silver collector coins to celebrate its first century of independence. Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo and General Secretary of the Finland 100 programme Pekka Timonen minted the first samples of the collector coins today in Mint of Finland's factory in Vantaa.
All collector coins released by Mint of Finland in 2017 are a part of the Finland 100 programme organised by the Prime Minister's Office. Today, Mint of Finland opened the centenary of Finland's independence with a sample-minting event held in its Vantaa factory.
The first sample Independent Finland 100 Years coin, minted of Finnish gold and with a nominal value of EUR 100, was struck by Minister of Finance Orpo and the coin's designer Simon Örnberg. Mint of Finland mints all collector coins by decision of the Ministry of Finance.
”The gold Independent Finland 100 Years coin whose sample was struck today is minted of Finnish gold, with Finnish experience and expertise. It is the perfect embodiment of the unique journey shared by the Finnish people and their 100-year-old country,” says Petteri Orpo, Minister of Finance.
The gold coin is the work of designer Simon Örnberg. One hundred of the gold collector coins will be numbered. The collector coin has been granted the Key Flag Label of the Association for Finnish Work.
Part of the Finland 100 programme
The first samples of the silver Independent Finland 100 Years collector coin were minted by General Secretary of the Finland 100 programme, Pekka Timonen, and Chairman of the Collector Coin Committee, Tapio Yli-Viikari. The collector coin's nominal value is EUR 10 and it is designed by Saara Peltomäki, 15, a comprehensive school pupil from Jyväskylä (obverse) and Jennifer Tuomisto, 16, a comprehensive school pupil from Turku (reverse).
”Collector coins represent permanence. When we are celebrating an even better Finland 50 years from now, these are the moments we will recall when looking at the collector coin of Finland's independence,” says Pekka Timonen, General Secretary of the Finland 100 programme.
Mint of Finland's release schedule for collector coins in 2017 also includes silver coins dedicated to Finnish tango, mothers, Finland's nature and the golden age of Finnish art. In addition to these, the Decades of Independence series of base-metal collector coins, highlighting the achievements and challenges of Finland's history of independence, will be launched as part of the joint Europa Star programme of European mints. In August, the Presidents of Finland series begun in 2016 will culminate with a collector coin paying tribute to President Kekkonen.
Two different special two-euro coins, a popular format released for general circulation, are slated for launch in 2017: the coins will pay tribute to the centenary of Finland's independence and Finnish nature.
For more information, please contact:
Katriina Holm
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Mint of Finland
katriina.holm@mint.fi
+358 400 211 066