2 Euro BU

Well into the 20th century, Latvia was strongly characterized by agriculture. In the countryside, large estates, often managed by Baltic German landowners, initially existed alongside peasant farms. After the foundation of the Latvian state in 1918, the agrarian reform of the early 1920s fundamentally changed this ownership structure: large landholdings were divided up, and numerous smaller farms emerged. Agricultural cooperatives assisted with processing and marketing. Dairy products, particularly butter, were among Latvia’s export goods during the interwar period.

The Latvian Brown was developed as an independent cattle breed from the late 19th and early 20th centuries onward. Its basis was formed by native animals, which were crossed primarily with red dairy cattle from the Baltic region and Denmark. The breeding objective was a dairy cow adapted to the local climate and feed conditions. The breed spread among Latvian farms and became closely associated with the development of an organized dairy industry.

During Soviet rule, agriculture was collectivized. Private farms were largely absorbed into collective farms and state farms; livestock husbandry and milk production were organized in larger units. After the restoration of state independence in 1991, the ownership and farm structures underwent further profound changes. Since Latvia’s accession to the European Union in 2004, agriculture has also been integrated into the Common Agricultural Policy (Gemeinsame Agrarpolitik) of the EU.

The choice of the cow also ties in with Latvian coinage history. The 2-lats circulating coin introduced as early as 1992 already featured the image of a cow. Following the introduction of the euro in Latvia in 2014, this familiar motif could be adopted again on a national side. The issue thus combined an agricultural theme with the memory of the former national currency. At the same time, it referred to an economic sector that shaped Latvia’s rural social history across various political systems.