National Bank of Georgia Issues 5-Gel Collector Coin

The National Bank of Georgia (NBG), the central bank of the country which implements monetary policy and exercises supervision over the financial sector, has issued a 5-GEL collector coin as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the issuance of the first Georgian National postage stamp.

The NBG report that on May 26, 1919, the first Georgian national postal stamp was issued in denomination of 10 Kopek dedicated to the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Therefore, the National Bank of Georgia is responding to this significant date with a collector coin in the denomination of 5 GEL (Lari).

The collector coin was presented by the Head of the National Bank of Georgia Koba Gvenetadze on May 3. Coins can be purchased from the Cash Center of the NBG, Money Museum in Kvareli and online for the price of GEL 90.

The coin was struck in Mennica Polska, in Poland.

The NBG says the coin was designed by Nitta Gongadze. The main composition of the obverse is the layout of the first Georgian national postage stamp in the denomination of 10 Kopek and the fragments of the postage stamps of four denominations (40k, 50k, 60k, 70k) from this series, marked out with incrusted rims.

On the reverse is a sealed envelope as a parcel from Georgia to anywhere in the world and the world map stylized in dots. The number of the denomination with the symbol of Lari is featured on the seal. 'Georgia, 1919 – 2019, 5 Lari' also appear on the coin.

 By Thea Morrison