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10 Latu 14th Century Riga
| Issuer | Bank of Latvia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
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| Weight | 31.47 g |
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| Obverse description | The obverse depicts a faithful artistic reproduction of a 14th-century Riga municipal seal, presented as a raised relief design within an irregular, aged-seal outline. At the centre of the seal, two crossed keys are shown in saltire, with a Latin cross positioned above their crossing point, all rendered in a bold medieval heraldic style. The surrounding legend of the seal reads 'RIGENSIS SECRETVM' in Gothic characters, separated by cross ornaments, evoking the authentic iconography of medieval Riga. Below the seal reproduction, in the lower flat field of the coin, the date '1995' appears above the denomination legend '10 LATU' in clean, modern Roman capitals. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features the coat of arms of the Great Guild of Riga as used in the 14th century, rendered within an irregular seal-shaped field that evokes the appearance of a historic wax seal. The central device depicts a medieval cog ship sailing on stylised waves, its single mast bearing two crossed keys in saltire surmounted by a Latin cross — the heraldic symbols of the city of Riga. Flanking the upper portion of the seal in incuse Latin lettering, the legend reads 'LIELAS GILDES GERBONIS XIV GS.' The lower field bears the commemorative inscription 'RĪGA-800' in bold Roman capitals, marking the 800th anniversary of the founding of the city. |
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Issued as part of Latvia's ambitious commemorative silver program following the restoration of independence in 1991, this piece marks the medieval commercial flowering of Riga within the Hanseatic League network. Founded in 1201, Riga became one of the League's most strategically vital eastern Baltic nodes, handling the grain, amber, and fur trade that flowed between Russia and Western Europe throughout the 14th century.
The Bank of Latvia used this series partly as a hard-currency revenue instrument during a period of severe monetary transition — the lats itself had only been reintroduced in 1993 after a half-century of Soviet suppression.