Coin Set "Coats of Arms of Historic Territories of Latvia"

The coin set "Coats of arms of Latvia's cultural and historical regions in coins" contains all four 2 euro commemorative coins, i.e. "Vidzeme" (2016), "Kurzeme" (2017), "Latgale" (2017) and "Zemgale" (2018), dedicated to the cultural and historical regions of Latvia. The coats of arms of Kurzeme and Zemgale originate in the heraldic symbols of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia of the 16th–18th centuries. A silver elk on a blue background, featured on the coat of arms of Zemgale, and a red lion on a silver background, turned in the opposite direction and depicted on the coat of arms of Kurzeme, have been carried over from the coat of arms of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. The elk symbolises the richness of nature, while the lion is one of the most common heraldic symbols and represents strength and power. Vidzeme and Latgale obtained griffin as their heraldic symbol at the end of the 16th century, when the Duchy of Pārdaugava was formed on the right side of the Daugava in the eastern part of the present-day Latvia. A silver griffin on a red background with a sword in its right paw can be seen on the coat of arms of Vidzeme (on a red background) and on that of Latgale (on a blue background turned in the opposite direction).