Lithuania

2021

Commemorative coin

Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve

Official Journal of the European Union

The design depicts the characteristic surroundings of Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve, which belongs to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme: remote islands of a unique bird lake and Lithuania’s largest wetland as well as its distinctive animals. In the foreground there is a great bittern reaching for a fire-bellied toad floating in the water. In rushes depicted on the right there is an aquatic warbler, above – a flock of common cranes and a mute swan, symbolising the establishment of the Reserve. The design is surrounded by inscriptions LIETUVA (LITHUANIA), ŽUVINTAS, UNESCO, the year of issue (2021) and the mintmark of the Lithuanian Mint. The design is realised by Eglė Ratkutė and Ernestas Žemaitis. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

The Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve is located in southern Lithuania, south-east of the town of Marijampolė, in the catchment area of the Dovinė River in the Šešupė Basin. The reserve includes the Žuvintas marsh, the Žuvintas and Amalva wetlands, the Bukta forest and Lake Žaltytis. With an area of 5,442 hectares, it is not only the largest in the country, but also the oldest nature reserve - the reserve was established in 1937. In 2002 it became Lithuania's first biosphere reserve; in 2011 it was included in the network of UNESCO biosphere reserves. It has more than 4,200 species of animals, plants and fungi; in addition to about 2,000 insect, 5 reptile, 10 amphibian, 45 mammal and 22 fish species, it provides habitat for more than 240 bird species. The shallow lakes of Žuvintas and Amalva, overgrown with reeds and rushes, are home to one of the largest populations of wood pigeons, reed buntings and plovers, and provide resting places for thousands of migrating cranes and greylag geese. The wetlands of Žuvintas are home to one of Europe's rarest songbirds, the warbler. The coin shows a bittern on a grassy island lying in wait for a fire-bellied toad swimming in the water. A mute swan, the heraldic animal of the reserve, flies above a sedge warbler clinging to a cattail leaf. In addition, four cranes are depicted in flight in the upper left. By mistake, parts of the coin specimens intended for coincards were provided with rounds prefabricated for Latvia and thus bear the wrong edge minting [DIEVS ★ SVĒTĪ ★ LATVIJU ★] instead of the correct inscription LAISVĖ [★ VIENYBĖ ★ GEROVĖ ★].

Edge lettering

Designer