Lithuania issues ‘coin of hope’
Published on: Thursday, July 02, 2020
By: AFP
A man shows 5 Euros nominal silver coins, minted to mark the coronavirus disease outbreak in Vilnius. (Reuters)
VILNIUS: Lithuania on Wednesday issued a new collector’s coin to mark the coronavirus crisis, bearing the inscription:“After darkness, I hope for light”.
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The coin features rays of light illuminating the year 2020 while the perspective shadow of the date forms the international distress signal SOS.
Asta Kuniyoshi, deputy governor of Lithuania’s central bank, said the bank came up with the idea in March when the Baltic eurozone member imposed a lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“At the height of the pandemic we witnessed solidarity between people. So the coin marks not only the lockdown period but also the universal human values of hope, unity and solidarity,” she told AFP.
“With this coin we also pay tribute to medics and all the other people who helped during the pandemic, from volunteers who assisted the elderly to teachers who taught kids online.”
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Thousands of silver five-euro coins as well coins in copper and nickel with a nominal value of 1.5 euros are now available online and in a number of shops across the country.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Lithuania reported just one new case of the coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,818, including 78 deaths – much lower than in most other EU countries.
