Euro Gold and Silver Commemorative Coins (Finland) - 2008 Coinage

9,000
26,000

BU
Proof

€37
€40

The first Flag of Finland, independent since late 1917, was a red and yellow lion flag. Just six monts after the declaration of independence, on 27 May 1918, a proposal on a blue and white cross flag was adopted. The Flag Act was passed two days later. In 2008, the Finnish Blue Cross flag celebrates its 90th anniversary. This is the first ever Finnish collector coin with added colour on it.

The obverse shows the dignified Finnish flag with the blue cross in full color in the midst of other flags. The reverse depicts Finnish nature as a cross design that nicely completes the entity. On this side, the Finnish words Suomen lippu and Swedish words Finlands flagga (Finnish flag) can be seen.

Disk: Cu (Copper) & Ni (Nickel)
Ring: Al (Aluminium) & Pr (Bronze)

25,000
20,000

BU
Proof

€13-€14
€19-€23

The Collector Coin Committee set by the Finnish Ministry of Finance arranged a public competition for the designing of the coin. Designer Tapio Kettunen’s proposal "Läpimurto – vihdoinkin uutta valoa" ("Breakthrough – new light at last") emerged as the winner. The Finnish words 100 vuotta tiede ja tutkimus (100 years of science and research) can be obvserved in the reverse of the coin.

5,000
15,000

BU
Proof

€39-€54
€34.50

This coin was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the important Finnish author Mika Waltari (1908–1979). Mika Waltari captivated Finnish readers as early as the 1920s; by the end of the 1940s, a worldwide readership confirmed his popularity. His best-known and most loved book was The Egyptian, published in 1945. The events in the book take place in Egypt during the reigns of the pharaohs Akhenaten and Tutankhamun. Soon after publication, the book became a best-seller in the US, and historians praised Mika Waltari for his detailed scientific knowledge of Egyptology.

The reverse depicts a vigilant Pharaoh watchdog referencing his famous book. The obverse is decorated with Waltari's signature and a stylized pen nib that symbolizes the diversity of the writer’s production.

The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and Russia from February 1808 to September 1809, with Finnish guerrilla troops helping on the Swedish side. As a result of the Russian-won war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire. Other notable effects were the Swedish parliament's adoption of a new constitution (also called Swedish Act of Succession) and the establishment of the House of Bernadotte, the new Swedish royal house, in 1818.

The motif on the coin is the passage from Sweden to Russia. The same coin depicts both Finnish history, with the withdrawing crown on the reverse side as well as the future of the country, with the eagle symbol on the obverse side.