Finland’s Doors to Diplomacy

The Helsinki Mint has released a gold proof coin to honor Finland’s longstanding tradition of diplomacy. The reverse design, which also appears on the Finnish €2 coin, features a smooth door surrounded by a textured surface to symbolize state visits to Finland and the country’s diplomatic relations with other nations. The year 2025 appears beside the door. On the obverse, the design is inverted, with the door having a linear texture, while the rest of the coin is smooth. The legend SUOMI FINLAND and the 100-euro denomination appears below the door. The Royal Dutch Mint in Houten, Netherlands, produced the coins, and Sinnika Inkeroinen-Huhta and Ilkka Huhta designed them.

Long-Standing Tradition

After Finland gained independence from Imperial Russia in 1917, the country has emphasized state visits with other nations to establish diplomatic relations and shape foreign policy. For hundreds of years, these state visits involved marriages between royal families. With new nations emerging in the wake of World War I, Finland’s diplomatic state visits required a new approach, focusing on Moscow and Washington, D.C. Following the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland has emphasized Western diplomacy, joining the European Union in 1995 and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2023. Today, the country continues to maintain diplomatic ceremonial receptions, joint public appearances, dinners, and cultural events, opening the symbolic door to cultural cooperation and global trade.