Latvian health ministry frowns on "beer money"

This is the new 1 Lat coin, issued at the height of midsummer festivities in the Baltic country to celebrate the beloved beverage.

According to the Bank of Latvia (via The Telegraph), "After water and tea, beer is the third most popular beverage in the world. The builders of the Egyptian pyramids were given three vessels of beer a day."

But apparently, the Bank received a strongly-worded letter from the Latvian health ministry, complaining that "The coin contradicts our efforts to cut down on the consumption of alcohol in society."

Apparently they're on a crusade. Earlier this year, the health ministry also wrote to a school that had the history of whisky as part of a senior oral exam. They said the topic was "unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Latvians are lining up to get their hands on the new coins.