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The 2 euro coin was minted by Finland in 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Väinö Linna (1920–1992), one of the most prominent Finnish novelists, author of the trilogy "Under the Polar Star" and the novel "The Unknown Soldier".
Obverse
The standard obverse of the 2 euro coins: a map of the EU, 12 stars of the European Union, the Vantaa mint mark and the year 2020.
Reverse
The reverse shows a portrait of Väinö Linna in profile with the inscriptions "VÄINÖ LINNA", "SUOMI FINLAND 2020" and the 12 stars of the EU. The strict and concise design reflects the writer's realistic style.
Historical context
Väinö Linna was born on December 20, 1920 in Uri. His novel The Unknown Soldier (1954) about the Winter and Continuation Wars became the most successful Finnish book of all time. The trilogy Under the Polar Star (1959–1962) covers Finnish social and political history from the 19th century to the 1940s. Linna remains a symbol of the social conscience of Finnish literature.