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UNESCO World Heritage – Caves of Slovak Karst

€10 silver collector coin

Banknotes and coins, UNESCO World Heritage – Caves of Slovak Karst
Banknotes and coins, UNESCO World Heritage – Caves of Slovak Karst

The Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst were approved for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 on the basis of a joint Slovak-Hungarian nomination proposal. In 2000 the site was extended to include Dobšinská Ice Cave situated in the Slovak Paradise (Slovenský raj) National Park. The subterranean formations of the Slovak Karst are outstanding for their extraordinary compositional and morphological diversity, multiplicity of flowstone formations, and valuable biological and archaeological treasures. The site includes many exemplary dripstone formations. Also noteworthy are the unique straw stalactites of Gombasecká Cave, some of which are up to three metres long, as well as the Domica Cave’s flowstone formations (known as ‘shields’ and ‘drums’) and the remarkable aragonite structures of Ochtinská Aragonite Cave. No other temperate-zone cave system in the world features such complexity.

  • Description of the coin

    Obverse:
    The obverse of the coin depicts stalagmites from Domica Cave, vertical stalactites and straw stalagmites from Gombasecká Cave and, below to the right, an aragonite formation from Ochtinská Aragonite Cave. The value and grandeur of the Slovak Karst caves is symbolised by an element of church architecture – a Gothic pointed arch. The coat of arms of the Slovak Republic is shown on the right of the design. The name of the issuing country SLOVENSKO is in the lower part, and below it is the year of issuance 2017. The denomination and currency 10 EURO appears in two lines above the coat of arms.

    Reverse:
    The reverse of the coin depicts a dripstone formation from the Krásnohorská Cave and rare fauna found in the Slovak Karst caves (springtail, niphargus and bat). The text JASKYNE SLOVENSKÉHO KRASU’ (SLOVAK KARST CAVES) appears in the upper part of the design, above the text SVETOVÉ PRÍRODNÉ DEDIČSTVO (WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE). In the bottom right are the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint ‘MK’, and the stylised letters ‘BR’, the initials of the designer Branislav Ronai.

  • Coin details
    Designer:Branislav Ronai
    Composition:.900 silver, .100 copper
    Weight:18 g
    Diameter:34 mm
    Edge:– WORLD HERITAGE – PATRIMOINE MONDIAL
    (Doctor – scientist – pioneer of anatomy)
    Producer:Kremnica Mint
    Engraver:Filip Čerťaský
    Issuing volume:3,100 coins in brilliant uncirculated quality
    5,700 coins in proof quality
    Issuing date:13 February 2017

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