The NBU put into circulation the first commemorative coins of the “In Unity Strength” set on July 11. These are the first coins it has issued in more than six months.
The two new coins celebrate the national unity of Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression, and recognise the international support that the whole world is providing to Ukraine.
They were presented by Deputy NBU Governor Oleksiy Shaban at a meeting with Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova and representatives from the embassies of the following 12 countries: France, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, the United States, the Czech Republic and Poland.
The two coins, a silver nickel one with a nominal value of 5 hryvnias and the silver one with a nominal value of 10 hryvnias, went on sale at a handful of banks in Kyiv and in regional centres around Ukraine on July 14.
The cheaper one has a mintage of 250,000 pieces and the silver one of just 2,500 pieces.
By 9am on the morning of July 14 a big crowd of about 80 people had already gathered outside the branch of one bank. Only a few branches of banks in Kyiv were selling the coins. The NBU’s online coin portal has been offline for over a year.
So, the only way to get one is to get in line early. The high demand is not so much from collectors but dealers, who sell their wares online or at flea markets. The latter are likely to make a tidy, quick profit as interest in the coins and demand for them, the first to be issued in wartime, is high. There is a hunger for all things patriotic, and eye-catching coins certainly make the grade.
At this branch, the first 30 lucky buyers were able to buy one silver coin each, with the rest leaving with one cupro nickel coin. The line was orderly, though it was interrupted by an air raid siren, which closed branch business for some time.
The prices quoted on online sites by the morning of July 15 showed a healthy 300% profit on the cost price. That is reason enough for some people to stand in line from 6 a.m.
The “In Unity Strength” commemorative coins begin a new series called My Immortal Ukraine Series.
The obverse of the coins is made in line with a design called “In Unity Strength” by Alina Malyuta. This design was included in the top five designs based on the results of an open vote to choose the best design, which the NBU conducted in April.
The obverse depicts the following: against a smooth background, in the center, is Ukraine’s small coat of arms (the Trident), around which is a stylized composition symbolizing the unity of people of goodwill around the world – a circle of hands that are joined in pairs and surrounded by a blue and yellow ribbon (color-printed/pad-printed).
The reverse is based on the design “Assistance from Partner Countries” by Serhiy Topkin, who also took part in the competition. The lower half of the reverse on both coins depicts the flags of the 12 main countries, which are providing Ukraine with comprehensive humanitarian, economic, security and military aid.
The upper part contains the motif “In Unity Strength” in both English and Ukrainian.
For Ukraine and its people these words are, more than ever, words to live by.
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