In the words of the bank itself:
Unlike many other big cities, Riga is comparatively green. This quality is becoming more essential with more urban development. Green areas improve the microclimate since they purify the air and water, thus improving human health. They are both a cultural heritage and part of an easy economical solution to reduce the human impact on the environment.
Like a leaf has its venation pattern, a city also has a network of streets, overpasses and roads. The network of Riga streets has been designed for people, connecting them with places in the urban environment, similar to the veins of a leaf transporting substances throughout the leaf. The linden tree is one of the most common and resistant trees you can find in Riga. At the same time, this tree, which lives up to 200–300 years, symbolises one of the most precious resources of the city. Linden trees capture large amounts of dust and give city dwellers clean air in return. In a year, one healthy tree produces oxygen for at least 10 people. Nowadays, this common and simple component of nature has to be appreciated and cherished.
Urban nature is extremely beneficial but also critically vulnerable. This is the balance humans have to strike to preserve their urban environment livable. We can all make our contribution to shaping a greener and more pleasant urban environment by changing or adapting our daily habits.
The collector coin dedicated to ecology was developed as an environment-friendly project: recycled silver was used for minting, and recycled paper was used for producing its packaging and informational materials.
The coin has the shape of a linden leaf, and its obverse features a leaf venation pattern. The network of Riga streets symbolically depicts the leaf venation on the reverse of the coin.
Starting from noon on 3 November, the new coin will be on sale online via e-monetas.lv, Latvijas Banka's website for purchases of collector coins and other numismatic products. The price of the coin via e-monetas.lv is 53.00 euro; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 5 coins. No more than 5,000 examples will be minted. The coin was struck by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in the Netherlands.
The central bank has also gone to the trouble of making a special video promoting the new coin.