The National Bank of Ukraine has completed the first phase of the Competition to select the Best Coin of the Year 2013 (hereinafter – the Competition), which ran from 20 January to 24 April 2014.

Traditionally, this Competition is held in two stages to select the winners in the following categories “Best Coin of the Year”, “Unique concept” and “Successful Artistic Solution”. Ukraine's commemorative coins  put into circulation from 1 January to 31 December 2013 by the National Bank of Ukraine were eligible to enter the Competition. 

More than 9 thousand people have participated in the voting held as part of the first phase of the Competition, which reflects growing public interest in Ukraine's commemorative coins. The completed questionnaires had accumulated inside the specially designed boxes installed at the regional branches of the National Bank of Ukraine (42 %), and the premises of banks acting as NBU’s distributors (48 %).  The completed questionnaires were also sent by e-mail to the Association of Numismatists of Ukraine (6.4 %) and the National Bank of Ukraine (3.6 %).

The following coins received a majority of the votes from the public:

in the “Best Coin of the Year” category:

• “Ukrainian Vyshyvanka” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 5 hryvnia face value). Designers: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk;
• “The Great Bustard” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 2 hryvnia face value).  Designer – Volodymyr Demianenko ;
• "1025th Anniversary of Christianization of Kyivan Rus" (silver, 20 hryvnia face value, German silver, 5 hryvnia face value) Designers: obverse: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk; reverse: Maria Skoblikova, Oleksandr Kuzmin;

in the “Unique concept” category:

• “Ukrainian Vyshyvanka” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 5 hryvnia face value). Designers: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk;
• “The Great Bustard” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 2 hryvnia face value). Designer – Volodymyr Demianenko;
• "Maternity" (silver , 5 hryvnia face value). Designer –  Nataliia Fandikova;

in the “Successful Artistic Solution” category:

• “Ukrainian Vyshyvanka” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 5 hryvnia face value). Designers: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk;
• “The Great Bustard” (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 2 hryvnia face value). Designer – Volodymyr Demianenko;
• "Catherine`s Glory Ship of the Line" (silver, 10 hryvnia face value; German silver, 5 hryvnia face value) Designers: obverse: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk; reverse – Volodymyr Demianenko.

The second phase of the Competition will be held from 15 till 30 May 2014. The jury panel comprising experts from the National Bank of Ukraine, NBU Banknote Printing and Minting Works, members of the Council of Experts on the issues of commemorative coin design (honored designers, engravers, historians and other experts), and authorized representatives from the Association of Numismatists of Ukraine will select the winner (coin) in each category by secret ballot. Results will be announced at the meeting of the jury panel and will be posted on the NBU's official website.