Ukraine Wins Top Coin of the Year Award

The National Bank of Ukraine’s ‘30th Anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence’ 5 hryvnia silver coin has been voted the overall winner in the Coin of the Year (COTY) awards, run by American numismatic publisher Krause. The 2023 programme honours coins dated 2021 in 10 categories of competition as decided by an international panel of over 100 judges.

The winning coin, which won the Most Artistic category, features storks flying over a field made up of traditional Ukrainian textile patterns on the front, and an embroidered band resembling a strand of DNA, symbolising the nation’s code, on the reverse.

Celebrating the adoption of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine by the Ukrainian parliament on 24 August 1991, the coin was designed by prominent Ukrainian artist Oleh Shupliak.

The coin was the overall winner by a large margin, securing 30% of the total vote, more than double those of its closest competitor. ‘It is very unusual for the overall COTY Champion to win by that large a margin,’ said Thomas Michael, COTY coordinator.

The National Bank of Ukraine’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works received seven nominations through six of the 10 categories, and also won the Best Contemporary Event award for its 10 hryvnia silver coin commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Ukrainian Constitution.