History of the enterprise

Judging from the coins found, the minting of coins was commenced in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the reign of Grand Duke Algirdas (1345-1377).

They were coined from silver. Regular form European silver coins- denarii, halfgroats and groats were started to be minted at the Vilnius Mint under the reign of Duke Alexander the Great (1492-1506). In 1508, under the rule of Grand Duke Sigismund the Old (1506 - 1544), dated coins were introduced. The minting of Lithuanian coins flourished under Sigismund Augustus (1544 - 1572), when a wide range coins: including denarii, groats, talers and ducats, were struck.

The number and range of coins minted in the 16th and 17th centuries in the mints of Vilnius and Kaunas was especially large. However, these mints were closed in 1666. Following the restoration of the independence of Lithuania in 1918 and the introduction of the Lithuanian monetary unit, the litas, on 1 October 1922, the minting of coins was started after some time. Coins of 1925, 1936, and 1938 issue were minted in Lithuania, in the mint established in the premises of Spindulys printing house in Kaunas.

In 1992 the state enterprise The Lithuanian Mint started striking 1, 2 and 5 centas Lithuanian circulation coins. In 1997, 10, 20 and 50 centas coins of a new design were struck, and new design circulation coins of 1, 2 and 5 litas followed in 1998. Among the latter, 2 and 5 litas coins are bimetal.

Since 1993 the Lithuanian Mint has produced collectible coins. The first 10 litas cupronickel coin was issued to mark the 60th anniversary of the flight across the Atlantic by Steponas Darius and Stasys Girenas. The first commemorative 50 litas silver coin was issued in 1995 to mark the 5th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania's independence.

In 1993 the first state decorations of the Republic of Lithuania were made: an Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas and Medal of S. Darius and S. Girenas, and in 1994 an Order of Grand Duke Vytautas.

In 1996 the Lithuanian Mint was accepted to the World Mint Directors' Conference with the full membership rights.

Contracted by the Paramount International Coin Corporation (USA), the Lithuanian Mint produced a Lithuanian commemorative coin under the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) program "Children of the World". Within the project of the German company MDM Munzhandelsgesellschaft mbH Deutsche Munze and the Bank of Lithuania, the Mint produced a commemorative gold coin from the series "The Smallest Gold Coins of the World. History of Gold".

At the order of the central bank of Estonia, the Mint struck uncirculated 1 kroon denomination collectible coins to mark the Festival of Songs, whereas in 2001 the minting of collectible coins at the orders of the central bank of Armenia and the national bank of Belarus was commenced.

In 2002 a commemorative 50 litas coin to mark the Sidney 2000 Olympic Games struck by the Mint for the annual elections organised by the publisher of the catalogue "Krause Publications" (USA) was declared "The Most Artistic Coin".