Estonia

Estonia 1Kroon 1992 UNC
Front: Artist Kristjan Raud (October 22, 1865 - May 19, 1943)
Back: Toompea Castle in Tallinn - the seat of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia - the Riigikogu; Watermark: Toompea Castle

Kristjan Raud (1865–1943) is the only Estonian artist so far to have made it on a banknote. 1-kroon note issued in 1992 and by now removed from circulation. However, Raud’s involvement in Estonian currency notes dates further back in time. In 1919, when the independent Republic of Estonia celebrated its first anniversary, Kristjan Raud participated in the design contest for new banknotes – the Estonian marks – and was chosen among the finalists. In the previous year he had been awarded one of the prizes in the postage stamp design contest. The award-winning design depicted an athletic sower working nakedly; the 10-mark note Raud was commissioned to execute together with a fellow artist likewise represented field labour and pastoral scenes. For the National Coat of Arms design competition organised in 1920, Raud proposed a series of sketches of an eagle holding a sword and clutching a serpent. These designs, too, were regarded as worthy of the second prize.
Information Obtained from Estonian Institute.

Toompea Castle is a castle on the limestone hill of Toompea in the central part of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, which for a time was also one of the names for the whole settlement of Tallinn during the times of Danish Estonia in the 13th and 14th centuries. The first wooden castle it is believed to have been built on the hill in either the 10th or 11th century by residents of the ancient Estonian county of Rävala (Revalia). It was probably one of the first inhabited areas of what later became Tallinn. In 1219, the castle was taken over by Danish crusaders - led by Valdemar II. According to a legend very popular among Danes, the very first flag of Denmark (Dannebrog) fell from the sky during a critical stage of the Battle of Lyndanisse, fought near the castle, resulting in Danish victory over Estonians.

The Danes then started to refer to Lyndanisse as Castrum Danorum ("Castle of the Danes"). According to one hypothesis, the name then translated into the old Estonian language as Taani(n) linna, and later abbreviated into "Tallinn". The much-rebuilt Toompea Castle, topped by the Pikk Hermann tower, still dominates Toompea today. It houses the Parliament of Estonia. Other sights in the vicinity of Toompea Castle include the Russian Orthodox cathedral dedicated to Alexander Nevsky, which was completed in 1900 and now partially overtops the castle.
Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia