New Circulation Commemorative Coin Celebrates Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces

On 25 June 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine put into circulation a new commemorative coin called “The Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.” 
This coin continues the Armed Forces of Ukraine series, and celebrates the selfless work of military medics who provide qualified and specialized medical care to both military personnel and civilians in the combat zone.
Oleksiy Shaban, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, and Major General Anatolii Kazmirchuk, Commander of the Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, presented the new coin to the personnel of the Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces at a military hospital in Kyiv.
“The medical branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces is a reliable shield that protects and saves the lives and health of the soldiers who defend our freedom and independence,” said Shaban.
“Since the first days of the armed aggression against Ukraine, military medics have been continuously providing medical care to our defenders, often right on the battlefield.
With their care, attention, and kindness, they give the servicemen hope and confidence that everything will be fine.
Such dedication and humanism inspire sincere respect and admiration.
As a reminder and a symbol of gratitude to all military medics for their responsible work and compassion, for their humanism and heroism, we have created this new circulation commemorative coin.”
“These coins will carry through time the memory of the heroic deeds of our military doctors, nurses, combat medics and all other healthcare workers involved in the medical evacuation, treatment and rehabilitation of wounded, injured and sick servicemen,” said Kazmirchuk.
Coin design
The obverse of the coin is identical to the obverse of the 10-hryvnia circulation coin designed in 2018, featuring in the center, surrounded by an Old Rus ornament, the coin’s face value, issue year, and Ukraine’s coat of arms.
The reverse of the coin has the following circular legend: ПРОФЕСІОНАЛІЗМ ТА МИЛОСЕРДЯ and МЕДИЧНІ СИЛИ ЗБРОЙНИХ СИЛ УКРАЇНИ (Professionalism and mercy and the Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces).
In the center of the composition, the emblem of the Medical Branch Command, which was created on the basis of a British heraldic shield, is depicted in relief.
The centerpiece of the shield is a cross with a stylized snake wrapped around a pernach (a type of flanged mace).
The cross symbolizes the sign of comprehensive help and protection, which is recognized in Europe and globally, and a snake wrapping around a pernach is a symbol of the medical branch.
Camouflage pixels are schematically depicted in the background.
Like all other Ukrainian circulation coins, this coin must be accepted at its face value for settling all cash payments and for crediting accounts.
The coin’s circulation and sales
The NBU will gradually supply banks and CIT companies with these coins for the coins to be issued to their clients.
These coins will be accepted from clients like ordinary circulation coins at their 10-hryvnia face value.
Gradually, the NBU will issue about 10 million of such circulation commemorative coins into circulation.
However, some of these coins will be made into specially-designed rolls.
Each roll will contain 25 coins entitled “The Medical Branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces”.
Each roll will be packed into specially designed souvenir packaging, which will bear the emblem of the Medical Branch Command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and elements of camouflage pixels.
The issue numbers of the rolls are 20,000 units.
These coins will be sold through the NBU’s online numismatic store and by distributing banks (the list of these banks can be found on the NBU’s official website) from 2 July 2024.
Background This coin has a face value of UAH 10 hryvnias.
It is made of a nickel-electroplated zinc-based alloy.
It has a weight of 6.4 g, a diameter of 23.5 mm, and a mintage of 10,000,000 units (including 500,000 units in souvenir packaging).
The coin’s edge is grooved.
Designers – Volodymyr Demianenko (obverse) and Tetiana Baluta (reverse).