On 16 May at 13.00, Eesti Pank will present the silver collector coin dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Voldemar Jannsen in the Pärnu Museum. Johann Voldemar Jannsen was the leader of the Estonian national movement, initiator of the tradition of song festivals, and a journalist. Jannsen is famous to Estonians as the author of the words to the national anthem of the Republic of Estonia.

Rait Roosve, Head of the Cash and Infrastructure Department of Eesti Pank, explained that one coin could not contain the entirety of Jannsen’s contribution to Estonian cultural history, and so the coin designer had decided to represent just three important symbols of Jannsen’s life. These were the badge of the first song festival, the first words of the national anthem, and the old Postipoiss logo.

“As this year sees the 150th anniversary of the first Estonian song festival and the 200th anniversary of the birth of the man behind it, we thought that this is the right year for a silver coin with a portrait of Jannsen”, he said.

The silver coin dedicated to Johann Voldemar Jannsen has a nominal value of 12 euros and can be purchased for 40 euros. The coin will be on sale in the Pärnu Museum on 16 May from 15.00 to 16.00. The Eesti Pank museum in Tallinn and the Omniva online shop will be selling the coin from midday on 16 May and post offices will start selling it from 17 May.

The Eesti Pank Museum at Estonia pst 11, Tallinn is open from Tuesdays to Fridays 12.00-17.00 and on Saturdays 11.00-16.00.

A list of post offices selling collector coins and other Eesti Pank products can be found on the here.

Additional information:

Shop of the museum of Eesti Pank: 668 0650
Eesti Pank information line 668 0719

For further information:
Eva Vahur
Public Relations Office
Eesti Pank
Tel: 668 0965, 5330 0619