Ukraine wins Coin of the Year at COINS-2010

Ukraine won two awards in the 4th International commemorative coins competition "Coin Constellation-2010".  The competition took place during the Second European conference on commemorative coins COINS-2010 held in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 9-10, 2010.  The conference was attended by mints of Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain, Canada, Austria, Hong Kong, Spain and other countries.

A total of 209 coins from 24 countries were submitted for the competition and Ukraine won two of six categories:  Coin of the Year and Silver Coin of the Year.

Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka was awarded the Coin of the Year.  The jubilee coin is dedicated to the creative work of Mykola Hohol.

Mykola Hohol (1809-1852) is one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century. A Ukrainian from a family of Cossack gentry, Hohol was born in the town of Sorochyntsi,  Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire, present-day Ukraine. He left Ukraine for the imperial capital of St. Petersburg at age 19 to seek a career and three years later established himself as the empire's leading literary figure with stories about his homeland.

As a civil servant, Hohol spent his free time composing short stories based on his observations and memories of life in Ukraine. He was the first writer of the so-called Ukrainian school in Russian literature.  His early works, such as Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, were heavily influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing and identity.

Although criticized by his Russian contemporaries for butchering the Russian language, his genius and talented use of the two languages created Hohol's unique style.

The 50 Hryven coin was issued on August 10, 2009 by the National Bank of Ukraine.

On the obverse side of the coin is a circular grotesque composition “the story-teller and listeners”, consisting of characters from Hohol’s literary work Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka.  In the center is a portrait of Mykola Hohol holding a quill pen in his hand.  Near the top rim is the small National Emblem of Ukraine and a semicircular inscription "НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ БАНК УКРАЇНИ", near the bottom rim is 50 ГРИВЕНЬ.

On the reverse side is a circular grotesque composition illustrating the story The Night before Christmas.  In the center is a Christmas star with a candle inside, the flame imitated by a yellow sapphire. Under the star is a semicircular inscription "НІЧ ПЕРЕД РІЗДВОМ".

The silver Ag 999 coin weighs 500 grams and has a diameter of 85 mm.  Only 1,500 coins were minted.  Designers are Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr and Serhii Kharuk.  Engravers are: obverse – Volodymyr Atamanchuk; reverse – Volodymyr Demianenko

Silver Coin of the Year

International Year of Astronomy was awarded the Silver Coin of the Year.  The commemorative coin is dedicated to the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), a global effort initiated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO to celebrate astronomy and its contributions to society and culture, stimulating worldwide interest not only in astronomy, but in science in general.  IYA2009 conveys the excitement of personal discovery, the pleasure of sharing fundamental knowledge about the Universe and our place in it.

Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei published an account of his telescopic observations of the moons of Jupiter, using this observation to argue in favor of the sun-centered, Copernican theory of the universe.  Stephen Hawking said, "Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science."

The 100 Hryven coin was issued on June 15, 2009 by the National Bank of Ukraine.

On the obverse side of the coin near the top rim is the Small Coat of Arms of Ukraine, the coin issue year 2009 and the legend in three lines: НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ БАНК УКРАЇНИ (National Bank of Ukraine).  Below this is a conventional design of the Solar System with the third planet, Earth, a 0.2 carat blue topaz.  Against the background of orbits is an armillary sphere, a classical astronomical instrument, used to determine the coordinates of celestial bodies.  Near the bottom rim is the two-line inscription 100 ГРИВЕНЬ (100 hryvnias).

On the reverse against the raised background are a depiction of Galileo Galilei and a medieval miniature of starry sky observation on the left, and a field of galaxies and a radio telescope on the right. Against the smooth background is a ground-based observatory.  Around the top rim are the inscriptions МІЖНАРОДНИЙ (International), РІК (year) and in the center of the coin АСТРОНОМІЇ (of astronomy) in which Saturn substitutes for the letter O.

The silver Ag 999 coin weighs 1,000 grams and has a diameter of 100 mm.  Only 700 coins were minted.  Designer and engraver of the 100 hryvnia coin is Volodymyr Demianenko.