In 2018 the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will celebrate their centenaries. To mark the occasion, a competition was held to produce a special 2€ commemorative coin. Each of the Baltic States submitted two designs and a public vote took place online to choose the winner.
The winning design was produced by Lithuanian artist Justas Petrulis and shows a symbolic plait in which the fates of the three Baltic sisters intertwine.
The winning design: 'Baltic sisters with plaited hair'.
During the two weeks of online voting, 14 302 votes were received. People from every continent except Antarctica voted for their favourite design. Alongside voters from Europe were others from Japan, Australia, Argentina, Canada, India, Morocco and the United States. The vast majority of 93% of the votes came from the three Baltic states, with 36% of the votes coming from Estonia, 32% from Latvia, and 25% from Lithuania.
In total, 4277 votes were cast for the work by the young Lithuanian designer Justas Petrulis; this is his debut in coin art.
Petrulis expressed the idea of his work in a poem:
Baltic sisters plaited their hair
As if one story – joint plait.
Mutual past, present and future,
Century of States unites three Baltic daughters.
The 'Three Hands' & ''Three Pines' were Estonia's coin submissions.
The two-euro coin with the winning design will be minted in all three Baltic States and will enter circulation in early 2018.
100 random participants from the online vote will each receive a gift pack of three commemorative coins in special souvenir packaging – a coin from each of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian mints.
For more information, please click here: New Centenary Baltic Coin
