In order to promote Georgian handball, the National Bank of Georgia is issuing a silver collector coin with a face value of 1 lari, dedicated to the participation of the Georgian National Handball team in the 2026 European Championship.

The initiative to issue a handball-themed coin was submitted to the National Bank of Georgia by the Georgian Handball Federation. Following a review, the Board of the National Bank of Georgia approved the request.

The Georgian men’s national handball team will participate in the 2026 European Handball Championship for the second consecutive time. Notably, Georgian athletes qualified for the European Championship for the first time in 2024 and competed in one of the most prestigious handball tournaments. It is also noteworthy that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Georgian Handball Federation.

The design sketch of the “Handball 2026” coin was prepared by the Georgian Handball Federation (designer: G. Jgenti) in cooperation with the National Bank of Georgia. The finalization of the design and minting of the coins were carried out at the Kazakhstan Mint, using exclusive technologies.

The coin was minted in a limited mintage of 3,000 pieces, with a retail price of 200 GEL.

Sales of the coin will commence on 12 January 2026 at 10:00 AM, through the cash desks of the Cash Center and the Kvareli Money Museum, as well as via the online store of the Money Museum.

 

Cash Center - Address: 2 Iason Lortkipanidze Street  Tbilisi, Georgia (72 Kakheti Highway); Working hours: Monday-Friday, 10:00-17:00 (break: 13:00-14:00)

Kvareli Money Museum - Address: 10 Shota Rustaveli Street, Kvareli, Georgia;  Working days: Thursday-Monday, 10:00-17:00 (break: 13:00-14:00)

 

Money Museum Online Store - moneymuseum.nbg.gov.eng

In order to ensure that the maximum number of interested individuals can purchase the coin, a sales restriction will apply during the first three days following the start of sales: each customer will be entitled to purchase no more than one coin during this period.

When purchasing the coin at the Cash Center or the Kvareli Money Museum, customers are required to present a valid identification document.

 

Coin Design and Specifications:

 

 

Obverse: The main composition features elements of the Georgian Handball Federation logo - a stylized image of a leopard, rendered as an ornament and touching a ball, set against the background of the Georgian flag (with flag details presented in red). The coin’s nominal value is displayed in the lower left corner. Along the rim, circular inscriptions read: “70th Anniversary of the Georgian Handball Federation” and “1956–2026”.

 

Reverse: The central composition depicts a relief image of a ball scored into the goal, featuring a rainbow-style element from the Georgian Handball Association logo. Below the image is the inscription “EHF EURO 2026”. Above it are the inscriptions “საქართველო” and “Georgia”, separated by a star. Along the rim, circular inscriptions read: “GEORGIAN HANDBALL NATIONAL TEAM AT EURO 2026” and “საქართველოს ხელბურთის ეროვნული ნაკრები ევრო 2026 ჩემპიონატზე”.

 

Face value: 1 lari
Composition: Ag 925
Weight: 20 g
Diameter: 33 mm
Edge: Plain
Quality: Proof
Year of issue: 2026
Mintage: 3,000
Designer: George Jgenti, Georgian Handball Federation
Mint: Kazakhstan Mint

 

The National Bank of Georgia expresses its gratitude to the Georgian Handball Federation and the Kazakhstan Mint for their assistance in the coin design and production process.