2009 Finland €10 Silver Issue "Fredrik Pacius"

• Mint: Mint of Finland
• Denomination: €10
• Issue limit: 28,000 proof/7,000 BU
• Alloy: 92.5% Sterling Silver
• Diameter: 38.6 mm
• Weight: 25.5 grams
• Design: Pertti Mäkinen
• Box/Capsule: Proof/Both
• Certificate: Both

This issue celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer, violinist, conductor and music teacher Fredrik Pacius, the composer of the Finnish National Anthem and the unofficial “Father of Finnish Music.” This is the fifth Finnish collector coin in the eurostar series with the pan-European mint mark.

Friedrich Pacius was a German composer and conductor who lived most of his life in Finland, and has been called the "Father of Finnish music". Born in Hamburg in 1809, Pacius worked for several years in Stockholm as a violinist as a young man. In 1834, he moved to Finland to teach music at Helsinki University, and soon became the leading figure on the Finnish music scene. In Finland, he founded a musical society (Helsingin Soitannollinen Seura), the first Finnish student choir (Akademiska Sångsällskapet), and a classical symphony orchestra.

Pacius has significantly influenced Finnish music by composing the Finnish national anthem in 1848, with lyrics from J.L. Runeberg’s poem ”Vårt Land” (Our Country) - written in Swedish and later translated into Finnish - as well as the first Finnish opera, “The Hunt of King Charles”.

Additional Information

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