Catalog
20 Latu
| Issuer | Latvijas Banka |
|---|---|
| Year | 1924 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Waterlow & Sons Limited, United Kingdom (1810-1961) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse, printed in rose-red, is dominated by a large central vignette of the Latvian coat of arms — a quartered shield with a rising sun and lion supporters on either side flanked by a griffin — above a ribbon banner with inscribed text, all set within elaborate guilloche border work. Denomination numerals '20' appear in guilloche rosettes at left and right, with 'DIVDESMIT LATU' in bold letterpress across the top. Three stars are positioned above the shield in reference to Latvia's three historic regions. |
| Reverse lettering | DIVDESMIT LATU PAR LATVIJAS BANKAS NAUDAS ZĪMU VISDIENĪLVAJ VILĪOTU ZĪMJU VATNĪCOU UN NEPIĀTĀŠANU VATNĪCOU CĀŠĀRANA AR SODU ATZIŅĀ |
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| Comments |
Latvia's 1924 series was among the first substantial issues from Latvijas Banka following the lats currency reform of 1922, which replaced the Latvian rublis at a rate of 50 rubļi to 1 lats — itself a stabilization measure after the inflationary chaos left by war and occupation. Waterlow & Sons in London handled the printing, as they did for numerous newly independent states in the interwar period who lacked domestic printing infrastructure.
The P#15 20 latu is notably scarce in circulated grades, as the denomination was high enough that most examples saw careful handling — or simply weren't used by ordinary Latvians at all.