20 euro - 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Zacharias Topelius

Zacharias Topelius (14 January 1818-12 March 1898) is still remembered today as a master storyteller and as a lyricist of best-loved Christmas carols. Topelius was not only a distinguished novelist and poet, but also a journalist, historian and rector of the University of Helsinki.
Topelius wrote insightful interpretations of social phenomena and structures, as seen for example in Välskärin kertomuksia (Tales of a Barber-Surgeon), one of his best-known novels. The reverse of the collector coin features an image of Topelius and the sparrows in his tales. The obverse of the coin is a reference to Topelius’s Koivu ja tähti (The Birch and the Star) fairytale.
The silver coins manufactured in Mint of Finland’s Vantaa factory bear the Key Flag Symbol of Finnish Origin issued by the Association for Finnish Work.
The commemorative coins are individually packaged in plastic casings set in a birch veneer frame crafted by Finnish carpenter Wooden Oy. The frame is surrounded by a ribbon and the package contains a certificate of authenticity telling the story behind the collector coin.