50 centų LITHUANIA (1998-2010)

in the centre Coat of Arms (Vytis) by Arvydas Každailis, below in two lines in thin lettering: LIETUVA (Lithuania) shifted to the left and issue date centered

face value: 50 centered, below centered: CENTŲ, all surrounded by a ring of 14 identical patterns of a pine-tree

reeded

1998

15 I 2015

Antanas Žukauskas

Lietuvos Monetų Kalykla (The Lithuanian Mint), Vilnius

1998	???
1999	???
2000	???	+ 5 000 in annual boxed sets
2003	-	+ 10 000 in annual boxed sets
2008	-	+ 4 000 in annual boxed sets
2009	-	+ 5 500 in annual boxed sets
2010	-	+ 3 500 in annual boxed sets
2011	-	+ 4 500 in annual boxed sets
2012	-	+ 4 000 in annual boxed sets
2013	-	+ 7 000 in annual boxed sets
2014	-	+ 8 000 in annual boxed sets

There were 25,700,000 coins of various types of 50 centų denomination in Lithuanian circulation on December 31, 2013. In 2014 they were being withdrawn gradually from circulation.

The winning design of new Lithuanian coins 10, 20 and 50 centų (centas) as well as 1, 2 and 5 litai (litas) proposed by Antanas Žukauskas contains clear concave and convex elements, which allow distinguishing between the types of coins even by sight-impaired. Usage of bimetal technology for the coins of higher face values 2 and 5 litas not only improved fast type recognition, but also limited forgery activities.

The obverse side of 10, 20 and 50 cents of 1997 differs slightly from coins with dates 1998 and higher. The most distinguishable change is the finishing of the front right horse-hoof from the flat in 1997 to down-pointed in 1998 and later.