2011-09-19
Gold in the hands of the National Basketball Team of Lithuania: the players were awarded gold collector coins issued by the Bank of Lithuania
The Bank of Lithuania awarded 50 litas collector (commemorative) gold coins dedicated to basketball to the National Basketball Team of Lithuania who completed their competition in EuroBasket 2011.
“Nobody had any doubts about resolution, determination to fight and commitment of the National Team of Lithuania. Our sportsmen deserved gold. So we award it along with the best wishes to qualify for 2012 Summer Olympics in London and to win the highest prizes there”, the Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania Vitas Vasiliauskas said.
The team was gifted the gold coins, which were among the last ones held by the Bank of Lithuania, as 5,000 pieces of the newly issued 50 litas gold coins were sold out very fast.
The first gold coins dedicated to basketball were given as a gift to the legendary basketball player Arvydas Sabonis, the head coach of the Lithuanian team Kęstutis Kemzūra and the President of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation Vladas Garastas during the presentation of the coins in Kaunas in June.
This summer, the Bank of Lithuania has also issued one million pieces of 1 litas circulation coins dedicated to basketball. They spread not only around Lithuania, but were also brought abroad in the wallets of the fans that visited the basketball championship.
Graphic design of the coins dedicated to basketball were created by Liudas Parulskis; Giedrius Paulauskis created the plaster models. Coins were minted by UAB Lietuvos monetų kalykla (“Lithuanian Mint”). 50 litas coin is made of gold (Au 999); its diameter is 16.25 mm and its weight is 3.10 g. The circulation coin is made of the copper/nickel alloy.
The Bank of Lithuania has already issued 69 collector (commemorative) coins, including 11 gold coins.