The Kaunas Mint () was a

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Lithuania, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe ** Lithuanian language ** Lithuanians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to Lithuania and the immediate geographical region ** L ...

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

which produced coins in

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

that operated between 1665 and 1667 and again between 1936 and 1939.

History

The mint was founded on 17 October 1665, during the reign of Grand Duke

John II Casimir Vasa John II Casimir Vasa (; ; 22 March 1609 – 16 December 1672) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1648 to his abdication in 1668 as well as a claimant to the throne of Sweden from 1648 to 1660. He was the first son of Sigis ...

of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

. Building of the mint (10 × 25 meters in size) was located in Kaunas Town Hall Square and was governed by A. G. fon Horn, whose initials ''GFH'' were minted on the coins as well. It minted

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

s (also known as

boratynka Boratynka (boratynek) is a popular, unofficial name of a copper szeląg (shilling), minted in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1659–1668, during the reign of John II Casimir. Coin weighing 1-1,2 g, was minted by Tito Livio Burattini. The ...

). In total, more than 40 million coins were minted in the Kaunas Mint, until 15 January 1667. In 1936, the Kaunas Mint was reestablished by the Ministry of Finance of Lithuania and produced coins from 16 May 1936 to 1939. In 1936, it minted bronze coins of 1, 2, 5 cents, silver coins of 1

Lithuanian litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO 4217, ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 Cent ...

(with the date of 1925), 5 litas (with a portrait of

Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, ; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often given the informal hon ...

) and 10 litas (with a portrait of

Vytautas the Great Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...

). In 1938, a commemorative silver coin, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Independent Lithuania, was minted there. In total, more than 25 million coins were minted in the Kaunas mint, while coins, their stamps and blanks were made in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

. The mint was located on the ground floor of the building of the joint-stock company ''Spindulys'', governed by Jonas Karys-Kareckas.

Coins minted in the Kaunas Mint (Grand Duchy of Lithuania)

Lithuanian Shilling of Jonas Kazimieras Vaza with his portrait and Vytis (Waykimas), minted in Kaunas, 1665.jpg, Minted in 1665 Lithuanian Shilling of Jonas Kazimieras Vaza with his portrait and Vytis (Waykimas), minted in Kaunas, 1665 (2).jpg, Minted in 1665 Lithuanian Shilling of Jonas Kazimieras Vaza with his portrait and Vytis (Waykimas), minted in Kaunas, 1666.jpg, Minted in 1666 Lithuanian Shilling of Jonas Kazimieras Vaza with his portrait and Vytis (Waikymas), minted in Kaunas, 1666 (2).jpg, Minted in 1666

Coins minted in the Kaunas Mint (interwar period)

Litwa 1c.jpg, Coin of 1 Lithuanian cent with

Vytis The coat of arms of Lithuania features an armoured knight on horseback, wielding a sword and carrying a shield with a Jagiellonian cross. This emblem is known as ''Vytis'' (). Since the early 15th century, it has served as the official coat o ...

and the

Columns of Gediminas The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas (, ; , 'Columns') are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and its historical Coat of arms, coats of arms. They were used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, initially as a rulers' personal insigni ...

Lithuanian coin of 5 cents with Vytis (Waykimas) and the Columns of Gediminas, 1925.jpg, Coin of 5 Lithuanian cents with Vytis and the Columns of Gediminas 1 LT 1925 A.png, Coin of 1

1 LT 1925 R.png, Coin of 1 Lithuanian litas with Vytis 5 LT 1936 A.png, Coin of 5 Lithuanian litas with a portrait of

Litwa 10lt.jpg, Coin of 5 Lithuanian litas with a portrait of

and Vytis

References

Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1665 establishments Mints of Europe 17th-century establishments in Lithuania History of Kaunas Early modern history of Lithuania Currencies of Lithuania History of Lithuania (1918–1940) {{Lithuania-stub

History

Coins minted in the Kaunas Mint (Grand Duchy of Lithuania)

Coins minted in the Kaunas Mint (interwar period)

See also

References