Gold investment coin Slovak double-armed cross SK stand

The double-armed cross is the largest symbol of Slovakia. Therefore, the Czech Mint pays a tribute to it by issuance of a large gold coin whose weight is derived from the historical forty ducats and which is intended mainly for Slovak collectors and investors.

The two-armed cross, which is also known as the patriarchal cross, is an ancient religious symbol. It is based on the traditional Latin cross that every Christian is familiar with, but has one extra shorter bar at the top. This symbolizes the table that Pontius Pilate had affixed over the head of the crucified Jesus Christ to commemorate his name and guilt. But how did this specific cross become a symbol of Slovakia? In the early Middle Ages, the double-armed cross was the official symbol of the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, from where the heralds Cyril and Methodius came to Central Europe to spread Christianity. The Christian symbol became so popular in the Slavic countries that first Nitra region and later Great Moravia chose it as their state emblem. The Patriarchal Cross remained in veneration even after the demise of the Great Moravian Empire, when the Hungarians, who subverted the Slavic state, began to use it as a sign of sovereignty and power. The symbol of the Hungarian kings returned to the hands of the Slavs only in the revolutionary year of 1848, when Ľudovít Štúr declared it the emblem of all Slovaks...

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of Lenka Nebeska, DiS., is dominated by a two-armed cross growing from a trio of mountain peaks. According to a legend from the 17th century, they symbolise the three Hungarian mountain ranges called Tatra, Mátra and Fatra. "The motif in the background is supplemented with a band with a decoration inspired by Slovak folk ornament patterns," the medal maker adds. Floral ornaments can also be found on the obverse side. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the licence of a foreign issuer, which is the island of Niue, the obverse side still bears its necessary attributes - the nominal value of 250 DOLLARS (NZD), the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the year of issue 2021.

The schedule of issuance of the coin incluides only 99 pieces.