Finland · 100 years University of Turku

Issue date14 Aug 2020

Total mintage720,000

EU maximum800,000

Editions4

Edge letteringSUOMI FINLAND + 3 lion heads

Inscription2020 / FI

DesignerPetri Neuvonen

mintSuomen Rahapaja OY, Vantaa, Finnland

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours the 100th anniversary of the University of Turku and addresses the relationship between universities and society. The grid pattern of the design symbolises their interaction; above it is the year “2020”, with the mint mark and the designation “FI” on the right.

The design

The motif in the form of a grid pattern represents the interaction between universities and society. Above the motif is the year of issue “2020”; to its right are the mint mark and below it the issuing country designation “FI”.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

The University of Turku (Universität Turku) was established in the years following Finnish independence in 1917. Its foundation was made possible by a nationwide fundraising campaign in which more than 22,000 people took part. The aim was to create a university at which Finnish was the primary language of teaching and scholarship. The new institution was the country’s first fully Finnish-language university. Its establishment was thus closely connected with the development of the independent Finnish state and the position of the Finnish language in education.

Turku, however, had a university tradition dating back much further. In 1640, the Royal Academy of Turku (Königliche Akademie zu Turku) was founded there, the first university in what is now Finland. Following the great city fire of 1827, it was relocated to Helsinki; the present-day University of Helsinki (Universität Helsinki) developed from it. Founded in 1920, the University of Turku is therefore not a direct continuation of the old academy, but it connects with the city’s academic history. In addition, Åbo Akademi, a Swedish-language university, has existed in Turku since 1918.

Funding from numerous private donors shaped the new university’s self-image. Scholarship was not to be solely a matter for state institutions or small social groups, but was to be supported by broad participation and serve Finnish society. This foundation explains why the anniversary focused not only on the university as an institution, but particularly on its interaction with society.

This relationship encompasses research, academic education and the dissemination of scholarly knowledge to the public, administration, business and culture. Conversely, social issues and changes influence the work of a university. The coin issue therefore commemorated not merely a round-numbered anniversary of the university’s foundation, but also its unusual emergence from a civic initiative. The anniversary year thus provided an opportunity to highlight the historical connection between scholarship, language, national independence and public participation.