Gold coin Cathedral of St. Elizabeth - Northern portal SK proof
Gold coin Cathedral of St. Elizabeth - Northern portal SK proof
The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint
Cathedral of St. Elizabeth
The second gold coin of the Czech Mint's four-part miniseries, which pays tribute to the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in Košice, bears the image of the Northern portal.
In the Middle Ages, an important part of the city with the main marketplace and town hall was located north of the Košice Cathedral. Therefore, the builders decided that the cathedral would have a northern entrance, even though it was against the customs of the time. The north side of the cathedral, which was considered diabolical in sacred architecture, was decorated with scenes from the Last Judgment. The relief depicts both saved people being welcomed by an angel in heaven and the wicked falling into Leviathan's hellish throat. The authors of the decoration did not forgive themselves for poking fun at the Church and included a bishop and a nun among the damned sinners. Jesus, the Virgin Mary and the Apostles are present at the end of the world. A substantial part of the relief is also dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia. The Hungarian princess, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, is depicted nursing, washing and feeding the poor. In the Middle Ages, the portal was decorated with gilding and was called the Golden Gate.
A detailed depiction of the richly decorated portal can be found on the reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker Lenka Nebeská, DiS. As this is a coin issued with the foreign licence of the island of Niue, the obverse side bears the necessary attributes of this issuer - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 10 DOLLARS and the year of issue 2022. All this is supplemented with gothic ornaments.
The collection of coins with motifs of the Košice Cathedral has its place in a collector's box which you can also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.