How to Identify the 2 Litai

Read the Denomination in the Sunburst

Start with the value side. A genuine coin of this type shows 2 LITAI set inside a field of straight radiating lines that fan outward like a sunburst. The word LITAI, the plural of litas, immediately places the coin as Lithuanian rather than a ruble, centai, or other currency, and the numeral 2 separates it from its 1 litas and 5 litai siblings.

Confirm the Vytis on the Other Side

The opposite face should carry the Vytis: an armored knight on a galloping horse, facing left and raising a sword. This is Lithuania's national coat of arms and the single most distinctive feature of the type. If your coin lacks the mounted knight, or shows a Soviet emblem, a portrait, or a different national arms, it is not this issue.

Check the Date, Size, and Metal

Look for the 1991 date in the design. The coin is a modest circulation size struck in a hard, white base metal with a pale nickel tone, not the bright heavy feel of silver. Weigh the value, size, and metal together: the 1 litas and 5 litai of the same series share the Vytis and sunburst styling, so the stated LITAI numeral and the diameter are what tell the denominations apart.

Rule Out Look-Alikes

Distinguish this from Lithuania's small aluminum centai of the same early-1990s period, which are lighter, smaller, and denominated in centai rather than litai. Also separate it from the later litas and litai coins introduced from 1993 onward, which carry different designs and dates. The 1991 date combined with the sunburst LITAI value and the Vytis is the fingerprint of this specific first-issue type.

Authentication Cautions

As a modest base-metal coin, it is not a common target for counterfeiting, so the practical concerns are correct attribution and grade rather than forgery. Confirm the exact denomination and date rather than assuming from the shared design family, and judge condition by the sharpness of the knight, horse, and sword and by clean fields in the radiating sunburst. Avoid cleaning, which harms even inexpensive coins, and match every cue, the LITAI value, the sunburst, the Vytis, the 1991 date, the size, and the white metal, before settling on the identification.