Gold coin Old pictures postcards - Spišský hrad SK proof
Gold coin Old pictures postcards - Spišský hrad SK proof
The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint
Product description
Another gold mini coin of the Czech Mint set in a replica of a historical postcard with a Slovak motif commemorates Spiš Castle.
The area below the Branisko mountain pass, which is the link between the Slovak regions of Spiš and Šariš, has been inhabited since the early Paleolithic. A former trade route passed through here, protected first by a hillfort and later by a castle. The first castle buildings were build at 634 metres above sea level at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, and since then the complex has been continuously expanded. Eventually, with an area of 41,426 m², it became one of the largest in Europe. Castle life was not easy. Although the mighty walls repelled the Tatar invasion, the castle's inhabitants were plagued by the cold and the absence of a well. The estate gradually ceased to meet the demands of the comfortable nobility and was abandoned. However, the castle burned down and turned into a ruin in 1780. Despite numerous rebuildings, it has retained unique elements of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. This is one of the reasons why it has earned a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List and has become the subject of postcard art. "The central motif of the two-picture lithographic postcard with Hungarian text from the Vienna workshop of Karel Schwidernoch is the village of Spišské Podhradie with Spiš Castle. The detail of the second image offers a view of the Spišská Kapitula, the seat of the Spiš bishops, with St. Martin's Cathedral," explains postcard expert Radoslav Chlapovič.
The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of medal maker Kristýna Šánová, DiS., presents a view of the ruins from the east. The composition of the reverse side is supplemented with the inscription SPIŠSKÝ HRAD. As the coin of the Czech Mint is issued with the licence of a foreign issuer, which is the island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary attributes - the national emblem, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2023.
The issue, which will delight numismatists and philocartists, is an original and affordable collector's piece as well as an attractive regional gift.