1 Lats 2010 Lettland "400th Birthday of Duke Jakob"

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1 Lats 2010 "400th Birthday of Duke Jakob"

925er Silber / 31,47 gr. / 38,61 mm / PP / Auflage 5.000

Gerade in Lettland ausgegeben

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On issuing the silver collector coin "Duke Jacob's 400th Anniversary"
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Riga, 22 February 2010

The Bank of Latvia today issued a silver collector coin "Duke Jacob's 400th Anniversary". The graphic design has been made by artist Ilze Libiete after a medal commemorating Duke Jacob, the authors of plaster model are sculptors Ligita Franckevica and Janis Strupulis.

The Bank of Latvia collector coins are miniature art works dedicated to Latvian treasures: events, successes, people that are expressive of our culture. Duke Jacob (1610-1681), the ruler of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, was a bright personality who brought modernisation to his country and turned it into a prospering economy. He has become a next-to-mythological personage embodying the image of the "good and smart" ruler. During his rule 70 manufactories were established in Courland, representing a variety of industries starting with pig-iron casting and ending with tapestry weaving, over 135 ships were built, urban craftsmanship flourished, churches and schools were erected. Courland's merchant marine, the largest in the Baltic Sea, shipped the Duchy's produce to many countries worldwide.

The coat of arms of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia on the reverse of the coin has been designed after a silver memorial medal, presumably struck in 1642 in commemoration of Duke Jacob's enthroning.

The silver one-lats coin "Duke Jacob's 400th Anniversary" is legal tender in the Republic of Latvia. Its maximum circulation will be 5 000 units. The coin "Duke Jacob's 400th Anniversary" will be available for sale at the Bank of Latvia and in the traditional locations where coins are sold: banks, souvenir and jewellery shops. Price of the coin at the Bank of Latvia: LVL 23.10.

Information for editors:
Money in form, collector coins are in fact works of art. They are usually made of gold, silver or other precious metals of especially high fineness. As opposed to currency in general circulation, collector coins are usually not intended to be used as a means of payment, but as a gift, souvenir or collector's item. Consequently, the price of collector coins is considerably higher than their nominal value.

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Face value: 1 lats
Weight: 31.47 g, diameter: 38.61 mm
Metal: silver of .925 fineness, quality: proof
Struck in 2010 by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (the Netherlands)
Artists: Ilze Libiete (the design after a medal commemorating Duke Jacob), Ligita Franckevica and Janis Strupulis (plaster model)

Obverse
Duke Jacob's portrait in profile is depicted in the centre, with inscription 1 LATS below; the semicircular inscription 1610-2010 is placed on the right-hand side above; the inscription IACOBUS DEI GRATIA IN LIVONIA CVRLANDIAE & SEMIGALLIAE DVX encircles the central motif along the coin's edge.

Reverse
The coat of arms of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is in the centre.

Edge
The inscriptions LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA (Republic of Latvia) and LATVIJAS BANKA (Bank of Latvia), separated by rhombic dots.


Duke Jacob (1610-1681) is the most prominent member of the Kettler dynasty that ruled in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1561-1795) until 1737. Officially, he was enthroned in 1642 after his Uncle Friedrich's death, though in fact he had governed the Duchy already since 1639.

Jacob was the godson of King James I, the King of England. Most of his upbringing was done at the Hohenzollern Court in Berlin. Jacob studied in Leipzig and Rostock and travelled over Europe. The broad vision he thus developed later allowed the Duke to modernise his realm. Seventy manufactories were established in Courland, representing a variety of industries starting with pig-iron casting and ending with tapestry weaving. Over 135 ships were built; urban craftsmanship flourished; churches and schools were erected. Courland's merchant marine, the largest in the Baltic Sea, shipped the Duchy's produce to many countries worldwide. France and England procured the ships built in the shipyards of Courland. Duke Jacob set up colonies on the Tobago Island in the Caribbean and the delta of the Gambia River in Africa. Apart from bringing international recognition to Courland, they promoted the transit of colonial goods. Though Duke Jacob loved art and culture, he never attempted to impoverish his country by copying the habit of the West European sovereigns of building luxurious palaces.

In 1645, Duke Jacob married Louise Charlotte, Princess of Brandenburg-Prussia, and their happy wedlock was blessed with nine children. However, similar to Latvia, both his family and the Duchy had a destiny determined by geographical location amidst great powers: in 1658, at the time of the Polish-Swedish War, Jacob and his family were taken prisoners by Swedes and held in detention for two years. The subsequent part of the Duke's rule was spent prevailingly in rebuilding the destroyed economy.

Duke Jacob has become a next-to-mythological personage embodying the image of the "good and smart" ruler. Yet, the continuation of his life is not a mere historical legend - the Kettlers' blood must be running through the veins of more than one royal family of present-day Europe.

The obverse of the coin has been designed after a silver memorial medal, presumably struck in 1642, commemorating Duke Jacob's coming to power. Not a single copy of the medal could be found in Latvia after World War II. The Duke's proud profile will remind the owners of the coin of the talented and brilliant personality who took Latvia to Europe as early as several centuries ago.

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Geprägt von der KNM - Niederlande