This coin was part of the restored Estonian kroon series introduced in 1992, when Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to successfully replace the ruble with a stable national currency. The kroon was pegged to the Deutsche Mark at 8:1 — a fixed rate maintained without interruption until Estonia joined the eurozone in 2011, at which point the entire kroon series, including this denomination, was retired and demonetized.
The copper-aluminium-nickel alloy was chosen partly for its resistance to corrosion in northern European circulation conditions. Pieces struck late in the series, toward 2008, are marginally scarcer by mintage than the high-volume early issues.
This coin was part of the restored Estonian kroon series introduced in 1992, when Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to successfully replace the ruble with a stable national currency. The kroon was pegged to the Deutsche Mark at 8:1 — a fixed rate maintained without interruption until Estonia joined the eurozone in 2011, at which point the entire kroon series, including this denomination, was retired and demonetized.
The copper-aluminium-nickel alloy was chosen partly for its resistance to corrosion in northern European circulation conditions. Pieces struck late in the series, toward 2008, are marginally scarcer by mintage than the high-volume early issues.