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CC 581 2025
Coincard
BU
Coincard
Lithuania · Mažoji Lietuva (Series: Lithuanian ethnographic regions)
Mintage5,000
Issue price€14.00
Issue date22 Dec 2025
PackagingCoincard
Edge letteringLAISVĖ ★ VIENYBĖ ★ GEROVĖ ★
Market price€49.90
Issue occasion
The coin from the “Ethnographic Regions of Lithuania” series is dedicated to Lithuania Minor. The design features a coat of arms with a moose holding a spear between its forelegs, above it the beacon of a lighthouse, and Curonian boats on either side. Beneath the shield is a quotation by Vydūnas: “Spindulys esmi begalinės šviesos” (“A ray is the essence of infinite light”).
The design
The design depicts the coat of arms with an elk holding a spear between its front legs. Above it is the beacon of a lighthouse. Kuren boats are depicted on both sides of the shield, and below them is a quote by Vydūnas: “Spindulys esmi begalinės šviesos” (A ray is the essence of infinite light). Along the inner ring of the coin are the inscriptions “Lietuva” (Lithuania), “Mažoji Lietuva” (Lithuania Minor), the year of issue “2025” and the mintmark of the Lithuanian Mint.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.
Background on the topic
Lithuania Minor (Kleinlitauen), in Lithuanian *Mažoji Lietuva*, is not a present-day administrative unit, but a historical and ethnographic region. It comprised those areas of former East Prussia where Lithuanian was spoken for centuries. Its northern part is now located around Klaipėda and the Curonian Lagoon; further areas belong to Kaliningrad Oblast (Oblast Kaliningrad) in Russia. The Lithuanian-speaking inhabitants were referred to as Prussian Lithuanians. Unlike the rest of Lithuania, the region belonged for a long time to the Teutonic Order (Deutscher Orden), later to Prussia and the German Empire (Deutsches Reich), and was predominantly Protestant.
Lithuania Minor played a special role in Lithuanian literary culture. In 1547, the first printed book in the Lithuanian language, the catechism by Martynas Mažvydas, was published in Königsberg. During the ban on Lithuanian publications in Latin script in the Russian Empire, numerous books and newspapers were produced in East Prussia in the 19th century and brought across the border. As a result, the region became a centre of Lithuanian linguistic and educational work.
After the First World War, the Memel Territory (Memelgebiet) was separated from the German Empire. In 1923, it came under Lithuanian administration. In 1939, it was annexed by Nazi Germany; after the Second World War, its northern part was incorporated into the Lithuanian Soviet Republic. Flight, expulsion and the consequences of the war led to the near-disappearance of the former Prussian-Lithuanian population.
Vydūnas was the writer, philosopher and cultural activist Wilhelm Storost. He lived and worked mainly in Tilsit and addressed language, national identity, ethics and the relationship between different cultures. His literary name became a firmly established part of Lithuanian cultural history.
The maritime references in the coin design point to the Curonian Lagoon, the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) and traditional fishing. Kurenkähne were flat-bottomed sailing boats adapted to the conditions of the lagoon. The coin thus places Lithuania Minor among Lithuania’s distinct historical cultural regions while also commemorating a regional heritage whose historical territory is now divided among several states.
Lithuania Minor played a special role in Lithuanian literary culture. In 1547, the first printed book in the Lithuanian language, the catechism by Martynas Mažvydas, was published in Königsberg. During the ban on Lithuanian publications in Latin script in the Russian Empire, numerous books and newspapers were produced in East Prussia in the 19th century and brought across the border. As a result, the region became a centre of Lithuanian linguistic and educational work.
After the First World War, the Memel Territory (Memelgebiet) was separated from the German Empire. In 1923, it came under Lithuanian administration. In 1939, it was annexed by Nazi Germany; after the Second World War, its northern part was incorporated into the Lithuanian Soviet Republic. Flight, expulsion and the consequences of the war led to the near-disappearance of the former Prussian-Lithuanian population.
Vydūnas was the writer, philosopher and cultural activist Wilhelm Storost. He lived and worked mainly in Tilsit and addressed language, national identity, ethics and the relationship between different cultures. His literary name became a firmly established part of Lithuanian cultural history.
The maritime references in the coin design point to the Curonian Lagoon, the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) and traditional fishing. Kurenkähne were flat-bottomed sailing boats adapted to the conditions of the lagoon. The coin thus places Lithuania Minor among Lithuania’s distinct historical cultural regions while also commemorating a regional heritage whose historical territory is now divided among several states.