Data released by the National Bank of Ukraine suggest the Ukrainian public and international community maintain a steadfast interest in the numismatic products manufactured by the NBU.
As of 1 January 2016, the NBU sold almost a million commemorative coins for a total of UAH 75.6 million, including 3 thousand pieces of gold coins, 82 thousand pieces of silver and 915 thousand pieces of German silver coins.
In 2015, the NBU also sold 28.5 thousand pieces of investment coins for a total of UAH 172 million, including 16.7 thousand pieces of gold coins and 11.8 pieces thousand of silver coins.
There is a keen interest in the Ukrainian coins abroad. In 2015, the NBU sold 7,290 commemorative and investment coins for a total of EUR 131.5 thousand to the World Coin Association (MDM Group, Germany), which promotes Ukrainian products in the global numismatic market.
In 1995, the NBU launched the national numismatic program based on the principles under which traditions are harmoniously interwoven with present-day realities. This said, the NBU is commited to using state-of-the-art technologies to produce highly artistic commemorative coins. Today, Ukrainian coins encapsulate and reflect the history and culture of our country, while promoting Ukraine's image on the international arena.
Last year the NBU put into circulation 37 commemorative coins (32 names), including 14 silver, 22 German silver coins and 1 bimetallic coin. The total number of commemorative coins issued in 2015 reached 961 thousand pieces.
In 2015, the NBU issued commemorative coins to mark milestone events, such as the Day of Defender of Ukraine, the millennium from the date of repose of Volodymyr the Great, Grand Duke of Kyiv, the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, one of the oldest universities of Ukraine, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Andrei Sheptytskyi and the 420th anniversary of the birth of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. The NBU also issued the “To the Heroes of the Maidan” coin series, which included three five-hryvnia German silver coins such as “Euromaidan” “Dignity Revolution” and “Heavenly Hundred”, to commemorate the events that took place in the Independence Square between November 2013 and February 2014 and went down in history as the Dignity Revolution.
In 2016, the NBU intednds to issue commemorative coins to mark the following events and anniversaries: the 25th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, the XXXI Olympic Games, the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine. The NBU will also issue commemorative coins devoted to Petrikov painting, the flora and fauna, ancient cities and architectural monuments of Ukraine.
The commemorative and investment coins are sold through the NBU regional offices and distributing banks, the list of which is posted on the NBU’s website. The NBU is currently engaged in efforts to work out efficient and transparent distribution arrangements for commemorative coins. Consultations in this regard are under way between the NBU, numismatists and banks. The NBU is working out a mechanism that would allow buyers to order coins through the NBU’s website and receive them at the NBU’s nearest representative office whenever is convenient to them.