Description:
This commemorative coin celebrates Kharakternyk Cossacks – the legendary warriors of the Zaporozhian Sich. These warriors, shrouded in mystical fame, were distinguished by their unsurpassed skill in combat and mastery of weapons, which aroused fear among their enemies and admiration among their allies. The historian Dmytro Yavornytskyi described them as knights whom “neither fire nor water, nor saber, nor an ordinary bullet, save for a silver one, could fell.” Today, Ukrainian defenders, like their ancestors, are demonstrating exceptional bravery, resilience and loyalty to their homeland, continuing the glorious traditions of the Cossacks.
Obverse: in the center of a composition is a stylized image of a soldier who is carefully holding and protecting the small coat of arms of Ukraine – a symbol of freedom and independence. The composition symbolizes the eternal desire of the Ukrainian people to live in their own sovereign state. Against a matte background are enemy bullets bouncing off the soldier, failing to hit the “Ukrainian soul.” Under the coat of arms are the coin’s face value 10, the graphic symbol of the hryvnia ?, and the coin’s issue year – 2024. The edge of the coin is smooth with incised inscriptions indicating the metal and its fineness Ag 925, fine weight 31.1, the legend УКРАЇНА (Ukraine), and the mint mark of the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works.
Reverse: Against a smooth background is a stylized image of a Kharakternyk Cossack who is protecting a bird – a symbol of freedom that has been made to look like a trident. The composition reflects the connection between the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Ukrainian spirit of the Cossack era. Against a matte background are broken enemy sabers that are powerless in the face of undying love for one’s native land and the desire for freedom.
Painter: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk, Serhii Kharuk
Sculptor: Volodymyr Atamanchuk, Anatolii Demianenko
Coins in circulation (planned/actual): 10000/7500
Weight of pure precious metals, gramme:
31.1
Diameter, mm.: 38.6
Quality: special uncirculated