The year 2010 is the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Mint of Finland and the birth of the Finnish currency. In honour of the jubilee year, Mint of Finland will issue a collection with all three collector coins made of Finnish gold: The 75th Anniversary of Finnish Independence gold coin from 1992, the 80th Anniversary of Finnish Independence gold coin from 1997, and the Finnish currency 150 years gold coin from 2010.

The reindeer antler on the collector coins indicates the domestic origin of the gold used

All coins in the collection include a reindeer antler as a hallmark of Finnish gold. The reindeer antler symbol was introduced in 1992 to emphasise the domestic origin of the 75th Anniversary of Finnish Independence gold coin. In previous centuries, there has also been a tradition of indicating on the coin the place where the gold was discovered.

Only 150 collection sets will be made. The gold coins have been presented in a package made of maple wood, and the collection certificates have been numbered. The Finnish currency 150 years and the 80th Anniversary of Finnish Independence collector coins were designed by sculptor Reijo Paavilainen. The 750th Anniversary of Finnish Independence collector coin was designed by Erkki Salmela.

Gold digging and panning in Finland since 1868

In late summer 1868, an expedition led by the Mint of Finland executive Johan Condrad Lihrin made a significant gold discovery by the Ivalo River which led to a gold rush of hundreds of gold diggers in Finnish Lapland. The largest nugget discovered in Finland weighs 392.9 grams. It was found in 1935.

Gold is still dug and panned in northern Finland. Today, Finland is a significant European gold producer. Finland’s main gold mines include the Jokisivu mine at Huittinen and the Suurikuusikko mine in Kittilä.