Ukraine’s 5 Hryvnias Named Coin of the Year for 2021 Dated Coins
Ukraine took home top honors as the Krause Coin of the Year for coins dated 2021. It wasn’t even close. The winning coin, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Act of Declaring Ukraine’s Independence, garnered 30 percent of the total votes in a contest that is often decided by a slim margin.
While the National Bank of Ukraine coin was understandably an emotional favorite, it is also a stunning, well-designed coin. The coin, dated 2021, won the Most Artistic category for 2021 dated coins. The winners in each of the ten categories then compete for Coin of the Year.
“Interest in Ukrainian coinage ran high with the COTY Nominating Committee in this year’s competition as the National Bank of Ukraine’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works received seven nominations through six of the 10 categories. The Judges Panel also took great interest in these selections, voting them into wins for Best Contemporary Coin and Most Artistic Coin,” said Thomas Michael, COTY coordinator, World Coin News contributor, and NumisMaster market Analyst.
The coin celebrates the 30th anniversary of the adoption of Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine by Ukraine’s parliament, which occurred on August 24, 1991. The Act of Declaration was adopted following the collapse of the Soviet Union and declared Ukraine’s independence as a nation state. “Upon declaration of its independence, only its Constitution, laws, orders of the Government, and other legislative acts of the republic are valid on the territory of Ukraine,” the Act of Declaration stated. On December 1, 1991 Ukrainian voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum confirming the Act of Declaration. The
The obverse features Ukraine’s coat of arms at the top center. It overlays imagery of the country’s sprawling fields, which are depicted in textile patterns. Storks, which are one of the symbols of Ukraine, fly above. The coin’s obverse also includes the following legends: УКРАЇНА (Ukraine); the year 2021; face value of the coin 5 ГРИВЕНЬ (5/hryvnia); and the mint mark of the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works.
The reverse includes a color embroidered band that resembles a DNA strand and symbolizes the nation’s code. It also includes semicircular legends reading: 30 РОКІВ (30 years) and НЕЗАЛЕЖНОСТІ УКРАЇНИ (of the independence of Ukraine).
The coin was designed byOleg Shupliak and Yurii Lukianov, and engraved by Volodymyr Atamanchuk. The coin is composed of Nickel brass (German silver) and weighs 16.54 grams. The edge of the coin is reeded, and its diameter measure 35 mm.
The Coin of the Year program is an annual competition presented by World Coin News to recognize outstanding coin design and innovation. The coins are judged by an international panel of over 125 judges in a second round of voting after those judges vote to select winners in each of 10 categories.