Silver coin 5 euro Latvia 2023 – Fan of light rays

The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, founded in 1773, is one of the oldest public museums in Europe and the oldest museum in the Baltic countries. For comparison, the British Museum in London was founded in 1753, and the Louvre in Paris in 1793. There is no other cultural institution in the history of Latvia that has existed and continued to exist for such a long period of time. The museum’s rich and varied collections arose from the collection of art and natural sciences of Nikolaus von Himsel (1729–1764), a Riga doctor, who donated it to the city of Riga.
In 2023, the museum celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding. On this occasion, Latvijas Banka is releasing a new silver collectible coin “Fan of Light Rays”. The choice of coin shape is inspired by fans from the museum’s collection, which were a typical part of women’s wardrobe during the era of Himsel’s collection and the founding of the museum.
In addition to practicality, the fan had another, no less important function: the transmission of a wide range of non-verbal messages in a public setting. Likewise, this fan-shaped coin conveys a message about the museum’s rich historical collection.
Obverse: A light source from which the rays of light spread by a fan are collected, amplified and focused in one direction by a lens.
Reverse: the gaze of Dr. Nikolaus von Himsel, founder of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation.

Denomination: 5 euro
Weight: 15g
Size: 41 x 24 mm
Metal: silver 999
Issue limit: 3000
Packing: capsule, box

A certificate of authenticity is included.