Titled 'The Key', the central bank offers its usual juicy justification of the motif, explaining:
Latvian cultural heritage, the lock and the fittings of a hope chest, beautifully crafted by ancient artisans, served as the artistic inspiration for the small gold coin "The Key".
A key bears a special, one may even say, a slightly mystical symbolic meaning. It has the ability both to unlock and to lock: to open the door to a particular room, grant access to riches or to deny these opportunities. A key has the power that elevates it above all the other objects in the world.
In Japan, the key is seen as a sign of luck as it symbolically opens the doors to hidden treasures of the soul. In artworks related to Christianity, two keys reflect St. Peter's power to open the gates of paradise and hell. There are two keys also on the coat of arms of the Pope. In the Medieval period, the ritual of handing over the keys played a symbolic role: it was a complete takeover of power. In fairy tales and stories, the key often symbolises a variety of obstacles that need to be overcome in order to solve a secret.
Starting from 12.00 on May 27, 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 98.00 euro; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 2 coins. The mintage of the coin is 2000. The coin was struck by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (the Netherlands).
