Finland

2015

Commemorative coin

The 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Jean Sibelius

Official Journal of the European Union

At the inner part of the coin is sky with stars, tree tops at the right. The text ‘JEAN SIBELIUS’ and the year of issuance ‘2015’ are placed at the left inner part of the coin. At the right is the indication of the issuing country ‘FI’ and the mint mark. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Johan Julius Christian ("Jean") Sibelius (1865-1957) was a Finnish composer at the transition from late Romanticism to Modernism. He developed the four-movement Lemminkäinen Suite with the character Lemminkäinen from the Finnish national epic Kalevala from parts of conceived but discarded operas. Critics and audiences reacted enthusiastically, especially to the second movement, "The Swan of Tuonela" (the motif of the Swan of Tuonela is also depicted on the 2015 Finnish commemorative coin dedicated to the painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela). In German-speaking countries he is best known for his violin concerto and his symphonic poems, e.g. "Finlandia". The commemorative coin designed on the occasion of his 150th birthday depicts the starry sky between pine trees above his grave in Ainola.

Edge lettering

Designer