National side of the new commemorative 2-euro coin intended for circulation and issued by Slovakia

Euro coins intended for circulation have legal tender status throughout the euro area. For the purpose of informing the public and all parties who handle the coins, the Commission publishes a description of the designs of all new coins (1). In accordance with the Council conclusions of 10 February 2009  (2), euro-area Member States and countries that have concluded a monetary agreement with the European Union providing for the issuing of euro coins are allowed to issue commemorative euro coins intended for circulation, provided that certain conditions are met, particularly that only the 2-euro denomination is used. These coins have the same technical characteristics as other 2-euro coins, but their national face features a commemorative design that is highly symbolic in national or European terms.

Issuing country: Slovakia

Subject of commemoration: The 200th anniversary of the start of the horse-drawn express mail coach service between Vienna and Bratislava

Description of the design: The design’s symbolic depiction of the express mail coach service between Vienna and Bratislava features a horse-drawn coach in rapid motion and a centrally placed rectangular inset containing a post-horn. Inscribed below the image is the year ‘1823’, when the express mail service began operation, and below that date are the city names in Slovak, ‘VIEDEŇ’ and ‘BRATISLAVA’, one above the other. At the bottom of the coin’s inner circle is the year of issuance ‘2023’, separated from the text above by a horizontal line. The name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ is inscribed along the upper edge of the design. To the right of the coach is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies. Just below the mark are the stylised initials ‘MP’, referring to the national side’s designer Mária Poldaufová.

The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Estimated number of coins to be issued: 1 000 000

Date of issue: October 2023

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(1)  See OJ C 373, 28.12.2001, p. 1 for the national faces of all the coins issued in 2002.

(2)  See the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 10 February 2009 and the Commission Recommendation of 19 December 2008 on common guidelines for the national sides and the issuance of euro coins intended for circulation (OJ L 9, 14.1.2009, p. 52).