Ukraine. New Commemorative Circulation Coins Launch Patriotic Numismatic Series

The new commemorative coins released inaugurate the We Are Strong - We Are Together series which is dedicated to the unity and indivisibility of Ukraine, its people, territorial integrity and its administrative structure. The referendum on independence held in December 1991 marked the start of the countdown to the restoration of independence. Ukrainians, by an absolute majority of votes in all regions, gave a mandate for the official state sovereignty of Ukraine. The first coins in the series are launched on the 34^th anniversary of this historic vote.

The first three coins depict the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the oblast of Donetsk and oblast of Luhansk. Crimea was unlawfully annexed by Russian forces in 2014 and the two additional provinces have fallen under Russian occupation since their war of aggression against the Republic of Ukraine commenced in February 2022.

Ukraine emerged as an independent Republic on the 24^th August 1991, four months before the former Soviet Union was signed out of existence by General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1991. The modern Republic of Ukraine consists of historic lands part of both the former Austro-Hungarian and the Russian Empires with over 233,000 square miles or, 603,600 square kilometres of territory – including the peninsula of Crimea and a population of more than 32 million. While not the largest country in terms of population, it is the second largest country in Europe notwithstanding the territory in Russian Europe.

Ukraine is divided into 24 oblasts or, regions as well as one Autonomous Republic, that being Crimea, and the two cities Kyiv and Sevastopol with special status making a total of 27 first-level administrative divisions. The 24 oblasts are in alphabetical order - Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk,   Donetsk, Ivano- Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr. 

The base metal collector coins are produced by the Mint of Ukraine at their facilities in Kyiv, on behalf of the National Bank and designed by Oleksandr Kuchinska.

Crimea – The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an integral part of the Republic of Ukraine officially since 1962. After independence, it was declared a special status defined by the Constitution of Ukraine. Its territorial affiliation with Ukraine is confirmed by international law and recognised by the world community. The peninsula was illegally annexed by Russian armed forces in February 2014 following the Ukraine’s Euro Maidan revolution, a move that was widely condemned by many Sovereign nations.

The reverse of the coin features a detailed map of Ukraine with all 54 administrative borders clearly defined on a smooth background. The map features the Autonomous Republic of Crimea with a matte background, contrasting with the rest of the image, emphasising it is part of Ukraine’s single geo-political entity. Above the primary design along the upper rim is the inscription АВТОНОМНА РЕСПУБЛІКА КРИМ (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) and below along the lower rim is the name of the numismatic series МИ СИЛЬНІ · МИ РАЗОМ (we are strong · we are together)

Donetsk - Located in the Southeast of Ukraine, the present Donetsk Oblast was founded from the Donbas region in 1938. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Donetsk was Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents, the majority of whom are ethnic Ukrainian. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, 83.9% of voters in Donetsk Oblast approved Ukraine's declaration of independence in the 1991 referendum. As of August 2025, Russian armed forces control about 75% of the oblast.

The reverse of the coin features a detailed map of Ukraine with all 54 administrative borders clearly defined on a smooth background. The map features the Autonomous Republic of Crimea with a matte background, contrasting with the rest of the image, emphasising it is part of Ukraine’s single geo-political entity. Above the primary design along the upper rim is the inscription ДОНЕЦЬКА ОБЛАСТЬ (Donetsk Oblast) and below along the lower rim is the name of the numismatic series МИ СИЛЬНІ · МИ РАЗОМ (we are strong · we are together)

Luhansk - As the farthest eastern region in Ukraine, the Luhansk oblast has the longest segment of Ukraine's international border with Russia consisting of 746 kilometres or, 464 miles in length. It was first established in 1938 also from territory forming the former Donbas region. Luhansk’s population was estimated at 2,102,921, ethnic Ukrainians constituting the majority before Russian forces invaded in 2022 and which rated them fifth in terms of Ukraine’s overall population. During the December 1991 referendum, 83.8% of votes in the oblast were in favour of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. By July 2025, Russian forces reported they had captured the last Ukrainian-held areas in Luhansk Oblast, though this has been unconfirmed.

The reverse of the coin features a detailed map of Ukraine with all 54 administrative borders clearly defined on a smooth background. The map features the Autonomous Republic of Crimea with a matte background, contrasting with the rest of the image, emphasising it is part of Ukraine’s single geo-political entity. Above the primary design along the upper rim is the inscription ЛГАНСЬКА ОБЛАСТЬ (Luhansk Oblast) and below along the lower rim is the name of the numismatic series МИ СИЛЬНІ · МИ РАЗОМ (we are strong · we are together)

All coins in the series feature the common reverse design which is identical to the reverse of the 10 Gryvnia circulation coins designed in 2018 by Volodymyr Demyanenko. The design features a small State Emblem of Ukraine placed at the top near the rim. The text УКРАЇНА (Ukraine) and denomination 10 ГРИВЕНЬ (10 Gryvnia) is centred and framed by an ancient Slavic ornament. The year of minting, 2025 is shown superimposed over the ornament near the lower rim. The mintmark of the National Mint is found just within the ornament’s design to the right.

The National Bank of Ukraine plan to continue issuing commemorative coins as part of this series over the next two years, dedicating them to each oblast or, region of Ukraine. A total of 54 million coins will be released into circulation.

Available from the 3rd December, a total of two million coins of each design will be introduced into circulation. The coins are also available in collector rolls containing 25 coins and limited to 15,000 rolls for each oblast & region in the series. Designed for the collector market, the rolls represent all 27 oblasts and regions and are decorated with different colours and patterns unique to that particular issue. For more information, please visit the e-webshop of the National Bank of Ukraine.