The Belarusian Rouble was introduced as the currency of Belarus in 1992, but the country initially issued no coins at all; circulation was served by banknotes instead.
In later years, Belarus became a large producer of commemorative coinage for the numismatic market, particularly gold and silver bullion coins and non-circulating legal tender. Their designs range from fairly commonplace to unique and innovative; themes range widely from "native culture and events" to fairy tales and pop culture topics not related to Belarus at all.
Large silver coins are issued in the "silver ounce" format and are usually denominated with a face value of 20 Roubles; between 2000 and 2016, these were of the "Secound Rouble" currency (ISO code BYR), which was demonetised after 2016 and replaced with the current "Third Rouble". The coins were issued at prices considerably higher than their intrinsic value, so are technically "Non-circulating Legal Tender" (NCLT) coins and not bullion.
This crown-sized coin is part of the "Family Traditions of the Slavs" series of beautiful silver coins devoted to the main ceremonies of the Slavic culture. Each coin presents a custom and symbol characteristic for an important period in the life of Slavs.
Wedding is the first silver coin of the series. The main topic here is the wedding ritual represented by the symbols of wedding rings at the reverse. On the obverse there are symbols of happiness and prosperity in a family: two birds sitting on a branch and a clover.
The coin is a perfect present for those who look for a unique wedding gift. In the past a wedding meant taking a solemn oath, an obligation to do a certain thing (e.g. to give a gift to a monastery or church) for a god or a chosen group of people. In anthropology it is one of the most important rituals of transition. The Slavs (before Christianity was adopted) had a ritual called "swaćba" which was a form of entering into marriage.
The issuer of the series is the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus and the producer and distributor is the Mint of Poland. The coin was issued in December 2006, in Brilliant Uncirculated grade only, boxed, with a Certificate of Authenticity in Belarusian and English. |