The Mint Of Finland Honours The Greatest Finns Of Their Time

The following is a press release from the Finland Mint

The Mint of Finland begins its new season with the striking of commemorative coins in honour of the designer Kaj Franck and the natural scientist Pehr Kalm.

‘Finnish designers and scientists today are highly regarded around the world. With these commemorative coins we want to honour both Franck and Kalm who were international pioneers in the fields of Finnish design and science,' explains Paul Gustafsson, CEO of the Mint of Finland.

In memory of a Finnish design legend

This year marks 100 years since the birth of the design legend Kaj Franck. The Mint of Finland is marking this with its Kaj Franck and Industrial Art commemorative coin.

The company is offering this coin, designed by sculptor Reijo Paavilainen, in an Iittala glass Vitriini case. The commemorative coin packaged in a Vitriini case represents a piece of interior design that pays homage to Finnish work and art.

A coin in commemoration of Nordic science

Finnish scientific study is being honoured with this commemorative coin named after the Finnish natural scientist Pehr Kalm. One of the ‘apostles' of Carl Linnaeus, Pehr Kalm, explored North America and was the first in the world to write a scientific account of the Niagara Falls. Kalm brought back from the New World hundreds of new plant species and the state flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, Kalmia latifolia, is named after him.

The Pehr Kalm and European Explorers commemorative coin is the Nordic entry in the official European mint joint commemorative coin programme. All participants in the European Silver Star programme will strike a euro coin to commemorate great explorers. They will feature this programme's star insignia.