Latvia 5 Euro 2023 "Riga Fashion"

Latvia 5 Euro 2023 “Riga Fashion” is a silver collector coin dedicated to one of the most distinctive chapters in Latvia’s fashion and textile history. The coin looks back to the period from the 1960s to the 1980s, when the Riga Fashion House, the popular magazine Rīgas Modes (“Riga Fashion”) and the specially designed Riga Fashion Centre on Brīvības iela became important parts of the country’s fashion culture. The concept goes beyond clothing itself: it reflects textile production, sewing, fabric design, fashion illustration and the individual expression of style.

The coin’s visual language is strongly connected with the aesthetic of fashion illustration. The obverse presents a seated woman with bright red lips wearing a dress decorated with vivid floral patterns. She represents the confident, emancipated woman who became a central figure of Riga fashion and its visual identity. The composition deliberately resembles a fashion illustration rather than a conventional commemorative coin portrait, giving the design a distinctive artistic character.

The reverse focuses on the material and creative side of fashion. Its upper section combines a fabric sample with a stylised blue pattern used for making clothes, while the lower section depicts a cut piece of fabric with a colourful floral print. The inscription “Rīgas Modes” occupies a smooth central field, while “5 EURO”, “LATVIJA” and “2023” are arranged in a semicircle against a matt background. The design by Latvian fashion illustrator Alīna Grīnpauka transforms familiar elements of sewing, textiles and magazine illustration into a contemporary numismatic composition. The coin subsequently received the Most Artistic Coin award in the international Coin of the Year Awards.

The issue is struck in .999 fine silver and combines Proof-quality relief with colour printing on both sides. The edge carries the inscriptions “LATVIJAS BANKA” and “LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA”, separated by rhombic dots. With a maximum mintage of only 3,000 pieces, the coin is a highly distinctive modern Latvian collector issue and an appealing choice for collections devoted to Latvian culture, design, fashion, silver commemorative coins and artistic numismatics.

Specifications:

• Country: Latvia
• Denomination: 5 Euro
• Year: 2023
• Theme: Riga Fashion / Latvian fashion and textile history
• Quality: Proof
• Colour: Colour printing on obverse and reverse
• Metal: Silver .999
• Weight: 22 g
• Diameter: 35 mm
• Shape: Round
• Maximum mintage: 3,000 pieces
• Issue date: 13 December 2023
• Edge: “LATVIJAS BANKA • LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA”
• Graphic design: Alīna Grīnpauka
• Mint: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato S.p.A., Italy

Package includes: Latvia 5 Euro 2023 “Riga Fashion” silver Proof collector coin in original collector packaging with certificate of authenticity.