On September 7, 2018, the Latvian Post issued a commemorative postage stamp "Curonian Kings".

The issue is notable primarily because it is the first case of joint work of two large agencies: the Latvian Post and the Bank of Latvia. On August 17, the Bank of Latvia issued a collectible silver coin "Curonian Kings" into circulation, and on September 7, the Latvian Post issued a postage stamp with a similar plot. The stamp and coin have a single design and a face value of 5 euros, they can be purchased both separately and as part of a collector's set: a stamp, a coin and a souvenir envelope with a stamp pasted on and a coin attached to it - the circulation of the exclusive set is only 300 copies.

The Curonian Kings - this is how, starting from the 14th century, several families of local residents from the vicinity of the city of Kuldiga in Courland (the territory of modern Lithuania) were called, who became vassals of the Livonian Order and received fief charters for the ownership of several villages. All descendants of the famous ancestors who received fiefs into their possession were exempt from taxes and labor duties. But at the same time, the Curonian kings performed certain duties in the service of the Livonian Order: during military operations, they served in the light cavalry, and in peacetime, they guarded travelers on the Livonian roads and carried mail.

Free villages, which consisted of separate farmsteads, were economically, administratively and judicially independent units. Since 1664, the coats of arms of the free villages of the Curonian kings have been known, in which armed horsemen are depicted with various variations. In front of each farmstead, coats of arms pillars were erected, testifying to the settlement's belonging to the Curonian kings. After the collapse of the Livonian Order in the 16th century, the freedoms and liberties of the Curonian kings were gradually limited by the rulers of the Duchy of Courland, but the Curonian kings in every way defended their rights and in 1884 (after Courland had already become part of the Russian Empire) they achieved official recognition of their privileged status, exemption from personal taxes and military service. The autonomy of the free Curonian villages was liquidated only in 1918 by the government of the Republic of Latvia, along with the privileges of the German nobility.

The Curonian kings are a unique social group, the history of which goes back more than 600 years. Artist Arvids Priedite, who designed the postage stamp and coin, depicted the coat of arms of the Penikis family from the free village of Kōniņciems against a rural landscape, depicting a horseman on horseback, flanked by a couple in traditional costumes.

In his interview, Arvids Priedite said that he had seen old photographs showing residents of free farmsteads gathered at a coat of arms in front of a house. It is this kind of column that occupies the central place on the postage stamp, crowned with a coat of arms depicting a horseman.

When working on the project, Arvids Priedite studied old images of coats of arms belonging to various families of Curonian kings, including a stained glass window with a coat of arms in the old Lutheran church of Lipaiki that has survived to this day. Most coats of arms depict a horseman on horseback, holding a sword or a flag in his hand. This is a clear reference to the times when men from Curonian families served in the light cavalry of the Livonian Order, and some coats of arms feature a post horn - a symbol of their "work" as postmen in peacetime.

In addition to the postage stamp, the Latvian Post issued a first-day cover and a special postmark, which also depicts a heraldic horseman.