• 4000 of the coins will be minted
• The coin will cost 45 euros and has a nominal value of 8 euros
• Coronavirus restrictions mean that the coins will only be on sale through the Omniva online store
• Sales of the coin will start on Saturday 10 April at 09.00

On 10 April, when the town of Pärnu celebrates its 770th anniversary, Eesti Pank will issue into circulation a silver commemorative coin dedicated to Hanseatic Pärnu. This will be the third in the series of collector coins dedicated to Estonian Hanseatic towns.

The restrictions introduced because of the spread of Covid-19 mean that the collector coin will only be on sale in the Omniva online store. The coins will not be sold in post offices or in the shop of the museum of Eesti Pank. Sales of the coin will start in the online store on Saturday 10 April at 09.00. Each purchaser may buy up to 10 coins, and the coins cannot be reserved in advance.

The silver coin was designed by Aidi Mesi, a graphic designer from Pärnu, who was inspired in her design by the Hanseatic League. “I knew that the design for the Pärnu coin must certainly feature the sea or the beach, but this was quite difficult as it is a coin for the Hanseatic town. Pärnu does not have any well-known symbol that makes reference to the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic league and at the same time specifically to Pärnu. In the end the idea for the design was that the Hanseatic league was primarily a maritime trade organisation in the North and Baltic Seas, and that Pärnu was the only important seaport of the German order in Livonia”, she explained.

She added that the design for the coin symbolises maritime trade with the geographical coordinates of Pärnu and a compass, which seafarers used to set their course in mediaeval times and still do today. “It is still true that when you think of Pärnu you think of the sea. Coming from Pärnu myself, I really hope that people from the town like this coin”, she said.

The winning designer Aidi Mesi graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts in graphic design and works as a freelance designer and graphic design instructor.

Coins dedicated to two other Hanseatic towns of Estonia have previously been issued in the series by Eesti Pank. In February 2017 a silver coin and a gold coin dedicated to Hanseatic Tallinn were issued, both now sold out, and in June 2019 a silver coin dedicated to Hanseatic Viljandi was issued, and is still available.

Further information:

• Because of the coronavirus restrictions, there will be no in-person presentation of the coin.
• The silver coin dedicated to Hanseatic Pärnu is a collector coin. Collector coins are mostly made of precious metals and commemorate important events or people for the issuing country. Collector coins are only legal tender in the country of issue. They are not intended for circulation, but rather for collecting or as gifts, and their selling price usually exceeds their nominal value.
• The Omniva customer service can be contacted by telephone on +372 661 6616 or by email at [email protected]. Customer service operates on working days from 09.00-20.00, and at weekends and on national holidays from 09.00–15.00.

Additional information:
Ingrid Schmuul
Communications Specialist
Eesti Pank
Tel: 668 0965, 5697 9146
Press enquiries: [email protected]