"On Tuesday, 15 June, Latvijas Banka is issuing a silver collector coin "YES or YES" dedicated to marriage," says LB.
"The authors' concept of the coin is as follows: in marriage traditions, two people are asked a question, expecting an affirmative answer. This is a coin of an absolute affirmative, with its both sides happily saying "YES". The obverse and the reverse become one. They denote one belief, one answer, one being consisting of two individuals. Both sides of the coin are like each other's reflection, and there is no way knowing which was the first,"' says the central bank.
"When flipping a coin, the choice between two alternatives is made depending on whether the coin lands heads or tails side up. This coin changes the rules of the game, as there is no room for failure. You just have to ask the right question."
In effect then, it is the opposite of the old showman's trick of "Heads I win, tails you lose" though in the case that the marriage proves to be less than permanent it will be interesting to see who gets to keep the coin. Possibly this should be covered as part of a pre-nuptial agreement.
"The golden answers are encircled by the edge of the coin, a golden circle – an ideal shape which is always at its beginning and on an eternal journey that never ends, just like love," says the central bank, waxing ever more sentimental about the coin with "Yes" written on both sides.
In supplementary information the central bank cites Biblical authority, which might lead one to believe their concept of marriage is of the traditional kind were it not for an almost immediate spiral into talk of opening a new portal and one being consisting of two individuals, which sounds more like the episode of Star Trek in which Good Captain Kirk battled Bad Captain Kirk.
"The obverse and the reverse become one, like in the letter of Paul to the Ephesians – 'and they two shall be one flesh'. They denote one belief, one answer, one being consisting of two individuals. Both sides of the coin are like each other's reflection, and there is no way knowing which was the first, as they both are equally important," says the central bank.
"The coin with its 28 millimeter diameter is like a miniature world which begins with a word triggering action. This little word, consisting of two letters in the Latvian language [Jā], is one of the shortest and it encompasses advancement. Language and words help us shape our consciousness. Two people say 'YES' to each other with confidence, and the word becomes a portal, a gateway to a new beginning," it rhapsodises
Returning from the aethereal clouds of Cupid to the demands of Mammon, starting from 12.00 on 15 June, the new coin will be on sale online via e-monetas.lv, Latvijas Banka's website for purchases of numismatic products. The price of the coin is 53.00 euro; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 1 coin. The mintage of the coin is 3000. The coin was struck by Mennica Polska S.A. (Poland).
Whether we will eventually be graced with another coin saying "NO and NO" to restore cosmic balance, only the space-time continuum will tell. Even better, one saying "NU un NU".
