Latvia new coin bring controversy

Latvia new coin bring controversy when their own country health ministry write a protest letter to Bank of Latvia that the new coin is just a way to advertise alcohol. The Cupro-nickel coin was released earlier this month for Latvia solstice festival, where people will drink beers for the celebrations. The new Latvia coin controversy just making many Latvian queuing up outside the bank's branches to get the coin.

"The coin contradicts our efforts to cut down on the consumption of alcohol in society," the health ministry complained. It seems that the Bank of Latvia's press release accompanying the issue of the new coin caught the health ministry's eye too. It waxed lyrical about beer's positive qualities, noting that it was a well known cure against insomnia and had been used in the past for semi-medical purposes.

"After water and tea, beer is the third most popular beverage in the world," the Bank of Latvia enthused. "The builders of the Egyptian pyramids were given three vessels of beer a day."

A spokesman for the bank dismissed the health ministry's criticism as "not serious" however. "We might as well ban national traditions and the midsummer solstice itself (according to their logic)," he said.

Obverse: The large coat of arms of the Republic of Latvia, with the year 2011 inscribed below, is placed in the centre. The inscriptions LATVIJAS and REPUBLIKA, each arranged in a semicircle, are above and beneath the central motif respectively.

Reverse: A beer mug is in the centre, with the inscription 1 LATS beneath it.

Edge: Two inscriptions LATVIJAS BANKA, separated by rhombic dots.

Technical Specifications:

Face value: 1 lats

Weight: 4.80 g

Diameter: 21.75 mm

Metal: cupro-nickel

Minted by: Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (the Netherlands).

Artists: Juris Dimiters (graphic design) and Andris Vārpa (plaster model)

Source: Telegraph.co.uk, Bank of Latvia.