Obverse
The obverse of the coin features one of the most significant historical and architectural monuments of Vilnius – Aušros Vartai (the Gates of Dawn) – which reflects the proportions of the golden mean. The attic of Aušros Vartai features Vytis. The gates are surrounded by the inscription LIETUVA (LITHUANIA), denomination (10 litas), and year of issue (2007).
Reverse
The reverse of the coin features the formula of the principle of the golden ratio (sectio aurea), which has been used in architecture since antiquity and is expressed through a geometrical figure – the rectangle. The golden ratio, which represents the principle of the perfect division of a line into two segments so that the ratio of the whole to the larger part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the smaller, was considered an aesthetically perfect, or ‘golden’, proportion. In the Renaissance, this formula was applied to the proportions of the portrayal of a human figure, composition of artworks, etc. The figure on this coin is encircled by the inscription SECTIO AUREA.