5 Euro of Finland 2011 UNC - Historical Province : Ostrobothnia

Mint of Finland issued in 2010-2011 a coin series inspired by Finland’s historical provinces. There are nine historical provinces: Åland, Tavastia, Karelia, Lapland, Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, Savonia, Uusimaa and Finland Proper. The reverse of each provincial coin features the historical province’s coat of arms and the face value, 5 EURO. On the obverse of the coin is an image closely related to the culture of the province.

The Ostrobothnian provincial coin depicts tar resins and the heart of a stone-covered tar-burning pit, as tar burning is an old Ostrobothnian industry. Between the 17th and 19th century, the flat Ostrobothnian plains criss-crossed by rivers were ideal terrain for transporting the heavy tar, which was a hefty load. Large amounts of tar were made of Ostrobothnian pine tress in round tar burning pits with a funnel-shaped bottom.