Latvia: New silver and gold-plating Proof coins mark centenary anniversary of Basketball Association

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The Bank of Latvia has released new silver Proof collector coins to mark the centenary anniversary of the founding of the Latvijas Basketbola Savienība (“Latvian Basketball Association”). The national governing body of basketball in Latvia was also one of the original FIBA Europe co-founders in 1932. However, during the Soviet and Nazi occupation of Latvia, the federation disappeared from FIBA from 1940 to 1991. The Latvian Basketball Association re-joined FIBA in 1991 with the re-establishment of independence.

In Latvia, basketball is played at both the professional and amateur levels or simply as a fun game. Basketball is one of the most popular and easily accessible types of sport in the world which not only keeps crowds of fans on the edge of their seats, but also attracts and motivates sports enthusiasts to develop their physical abilities. All you need is a basket, a ball, some willpower, and a lot of energy.

The Baltic state of Latvia boasts significant achievements in this sport. For example, the national team won the First European Men’s Basketball Championship in 1935. Recent years have also seen several notable achievements in the international arena. The performance of the Latvian men’s basketball team ending its 2023 FIBA World Cup appearance in fifth place had surprised many and solidified Latvia’s basketball on the global map. The name of Kristaps Porziņģis, currently a team member of the Boston Celtics and the National Basketball Association, is well-known beyond the borders of Latvia. Internationally, the game has also had a profound impact on different areas of Western culture, such as music, television, and fashion. In all parts of Latvia, basketball baskets are seen in the yards of many homes and apartments, where outdoor basketball courts are available to everyone.

The coin is produced by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS) at their facilities in Rome on behalf of the Bank of Latvia and designed by the graphic artist Paulis Liepa. His interpretation of the sport is based on a message about basketball as a strategic game. The obverse side includes a basketball basket with a gold-plated textured ball on the basket’s rim, referencing the intrigue about the ball falling into the basket and the team getting their victory points. Along the lower left rim is the semi-circled inscription shown in dot matrix font that reads LATVIJAS BASKETBOLAM 100 (“Latvian Basketball 100”). The coin’s reverse features a hand-drawn tactical scheme of a basketball game. The text 20:23 symbolises not only the year of the coin’s issue but also the score of the game displayed on the scoreboard, assuming it is an away game for the Latvian team. The denomination of 5 EURO is placed just to the lower left. The incused edge inscription on the smooth gold-plated edge reads LATVIJAS BANKA and LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA, separated by rhombic dots.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Maximum Mintage
5 euro	.999 Silver	22 g	35 mm	Proof with gold plating	3,000

Available from the 26th October, each coin is encapsulated and enclosed in a custom presentation case accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please click here.

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