2001 Latvia 1Ls Silver Proof Coin "Cesis"

• Mint: Mint of Finland
• Denomination: 1 Lats
• Quality: Proof
• Issue limit: 5,000 pcs.
• Alloy: 92.5% Sterling silver
• Diameter: 38.61 mm
• Weight: 31.47 grams
• Artist: Gunars Krollis
• Box/Capsule: Yes/Yes
• Certificate: Yes

This issued is dedicated to Cesis, one of the eight Hanseatic cities of Latvia.

The city was first mentioned in the Chronicles of Henricus (Indrikis) in 1206. The wooden castle, which stood on the city's site in the 11th and 13th centuries, and the city (in German, Wenden) bore the name of the vendi tribe. Masters of the Livonian Order often chose the stone castle built by the Order of the Brothers of Sword (13th–18th c.) as their residence. Due to its location near the Gauja trade route, the city flourished in the late 14th and early 15th centuries and became a member of the Hanseatic League. Cesis organized special events for the Hanseatic cities of Livonia. On several occasions, the city hosted the Livonian Landtag. Cesis was the place where Western European and Russian merchants traded. The city mint, erected in the late 15th century, produced shillings and phennigs.

After devastation brought by the Livonian War (1558–1583), fires of the 17th century and the Northern War (1700–1721), the city flourished in the second half of the 19th century, when the Riga-Pskov highway and railway were built. The late 19th century saw a change in city administration: members of the city's council were chosen by election. As a result, Latvians gradually gained political influence. Nowadays Cesis, the city that gave Latvia its national colours, is a centre for culture and tourism.

The obverse shows the Hanseatic city seal with Cesis' coat of arms in the center. A pattern of Gothic ornaments is placed to right and the pointed arch to the left of the central motif. The inscription says WENDEN, which is the old Hanseatic name for the city. The reverse shows a stretch of sea with waves that divides the coin's reverse in two parts. Cesis Castle, topped by the inscription CESIS, is depicted in the upper part. The reflection of a Hanseatic ship is featured in the lower part. The inscription HANZAS PILSETA (Hanseatic city) is placed in a semicircle beneath it.