Lithuania

2023

Commemorative coin

Together with Ukraine

Official Journal of the European Union

The design features a stylised sunflower in the centre, with petals looking like silhouettes of people holding hands, embracing, protecting each other, embodying unity, support and the power of being together. Using artistic means the sunflower is designed as the rising Sun, the hope of a new beginning, birds, freedom, hope and courage, as people rising above the circumstances, never accepting any imposed will, as an allusion to those who have sacrificed their lives and their departing souls. The composition is surrounded by the inscriptions ‘LIETUVA’ (LITHUANIA), ‘KARTU SU UKRAINA’ (TOGETHER WITH UKRAINE), the year of issue ‘2023’ and the mintmark of the Lithuanian Mint. The coin is designed by Eglė Žemaitė. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Lithuania dedicates this commemorative coin to the people of Ukraine who have been suffering and dying since Russia occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched its invasion on 24 February 2022. The coin's designer ''Eglė Žemaitė'' depicts a stylised sunflower, Ukraine's national plant, which is grown extensively in the country. Around the flower basket with its numerous small tubular blossoms, the issue motto 'KARTU SU UKRAINA' (together with Ukraine, in Lithuanian) is written in a circle, surrounded by ray florets in the form of stylised people holding hands, embracing and protecting each other, thus embodying unity, support and the power of togetherness. The shapes of the child and adult figures look like tongues of flame around a rising sun, a sign of hope. Above them hover birds alluding to those who lost their lives in this war or sacrificed as national defenders and their departing souls.

Edge lettering

Designer