On 19th February, Lithuania released a copper-nickel €1.5 and a silver €5 coin to celebrate the festival of Shrove Tuesday, also known as Uzgavenes in Lithuania. Shrove Tuesday is considered to be the most fun-filled festivals in the country which is celebrated to welcome spring and mark the end of winter.

Designed by Giedrius Paulauskis and minted at the Lithuanian Mint, the coins belong to the Traditional Lithuanian Celebrations series. The obverse depicts a person dressed up in a traditional Uzgavenes costume, in such a way that it looks as if he is riding a horse. Other inscriptions include country name, year of issue, denomination, and the Mint mark.

The reverse side depicts a straw-and-sticks effigy of winter known as More, surrounded by a beggar, a crane, a witch baking pancakes, symbol of winter – Lasininis, a symbol of spring - Kanapinis, and a goat-like figure playing the accordion. Other inscriptions include UZGAVENES and a slogan which translates to “Winter, Winter go away from our yards.” Another inscription on the edge translates to “If you don’t go, we will throw you out ourselves.” The flames around the More are designed using Pad-printing technology.

The 11.1 grams Uncirculated copper-nickel coin has a diameter of 27.5 millimetres and a mintage limit of 30,000 pieces. The 12.44 grams Proof .925 fine silver coin has a diameter of 28.7 millimetres and a mintage limit of 3,000 pieces. The copper-nickel coin can be purchased for €2 while the silver coin can be bought for €49.

Image Courtesy: Lithuania Mint