50 litas Lithuania 25 years Baltic Way

Bank of Lithuania has announced today, a 50 litas Lithuania 25 years Baltic Way silver coin has been issued into circulation. The 50 Litas Silver Ag 925 coin will have a mintage of 4,000 units. Each coin comes mint in its box along with its original Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

The reverse of the coin depict a tree that is symbolic of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joining together in a living chain in the Baltic Way. The leaves of the tree are in the colours of the flags of the three Baltic nations. ; the inscription BALTIJOS KELIAS 25 (BALTIC WAY 25) is on the left. The mark of the designer is impressed on the reverse.

The obverse of the coins features the Vytis, stylised coat of arms of the State of Lithuania in the centre; the inscription LIETUVA (LITHUANIA) is placed at the top; the denomination 50 LITŲ (50 litas) and the year of issue 2014 are placed at the bottom. The mintmark of the Mint is impressed on the obverse of the coins.

The coins dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way are the second set in the series “Lithuania’s Road to Independence”. The first coins in this series were issued in 2013 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Sąjūdis, while the third coins in this series will be minted in euro in 2015 and dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence.

The Baltic Way was a human chain of linked hands stretching from Vilnius to Tallinn, made up of the people of three small nations — Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This peaceful mass demonstration was their silent reminder of themselves to the world — that they were prisoners, forgotten by all and imprisoned for 50 years. The Baltic Way was a triumph of democratic self-determination.

On 23 August 1989, at 19.00 local time, a living chain stretched from Vilnius (Gediminas Hill) through Riga (Freedom Monument) to Tallinn (Toompea Castle) and stayed for about 15–20 minutes. It connected almost 2 million people; in Lithuania — about a million. Taking into account the historical significance and uniqueness of this event, the Baltic Way is included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Technical Specifications:
Denomination: 50 litas
Metal: Silver Ag 925
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Mass: 1 oz
Finish: Proof
Coin edge: inscription "EESTI LATVIJA LIETUVA" (ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA).
Mintage: 4,000
Designer: Eglė Rimkutė
Mint: UAB Lithuanian Mint
Issue Price: LTL 150