"Latvijas Banka announces the annual public survey Coin of the Year 2015, the central event of Latvia's coin art, which will last from 1 March until 22 March 2016," the bank said in a statement.
"Latvijas Banka is inviting the public to express their views as to which coin of the six collector coins issued in 2015 they favor due to its artistic presentation, emotional attractiveness, originality and featured subject-matter."
In 2015, six collector coins dedicated to Latvia's history, culture and personalities were issued. They are "150 Years of Firefighting in Latvia", "500 Years of the Riga Castle", "Rainis and Aspazija", "Valse Mélancolique", "Fairy Tale Coin I. Five Cats" and "500 Years of Livonian Ferding".
All coins can be viewed in the video below.
A panel of experts will determine and present a special award for the most artistic coin.
Online voting will be open on Latvijas Banka website at www.bank.lv/aptauja and www.draugiem.lv/latvijasbanka, or voting forms can be filled out in Latvijas Banka premises at K. Valdemāra iela 2A and K. Valdemāra iela 1B in Riga as well as in the Liepāja Branch at Teātra iela 3.
The results will be announced during the awards ceremony on 28 April and published on Latvijas Banka websitewww.bank.lv within two days. During the event, a lottery will be held, with 30 collector coins issued in 2015 offered as prizes for the winners.
In 2014, the Coin of the Year Award went to "Baroque of Courland", with around 17 000 people having taken part in the voting.
Since 2004 when Latvijas Banka launched the survey, the following coins have won the Coin of the Year Award: "Coin of Time", "Baron Munchausen", "Coin of Digits", "Coin of Time II", "Happy Coin", "Coin of Water", "Amber Coin", "Fog Mists the Pane", "Richard Zariņš' Silver 5 Lats Coin" and "Baby Coin".
Since 1995, Latvijas Banka has issued 98 lats collector coins and 12 euro collector coins, with over 40 Latvian artists having participated in designing them.
