This miniset of gold coins from the Czech Mint called The war year 1942, which gradually resembled the crucial moments of the Second World War, is now complete. The fourth issue is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad - the decisive engagement of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, which decided the outcome of the greatest conflict in human history.

Two cities named after its communist leaders - Leningrad and Stalingrad stood in the Soviet Union in the first half of 1942. The first was blockaded by the Nazi units in September 1941, the second was still out of reach of Adolf Hitlers war machinery. But not for long. The attack on Volga city began at the end of June. Its aim was to conquer key oil fields in the Caucasus and cut off the Soviets from allied supplies flowing from Persia. For the Nazis, however, it was even more important to destroy the symbol of power of J. V. Stalin. The German bombers ruined the city and the rapid advance of the ground units supported by the Hungarians, Romanians and Italians pushed the Red Army to the river - but this lightning strike stopped here. The Soviets fired everything they had and fought each street, every building and every room. The Germans were not ready for several months of furious resistence - the lack of supplies and frosts, which were unusually strong even in Russian proportions, began to collect their tax on the invaders. In November, the Red Army underwent a counterattack, and the enemy managed to get into pliers. Wehrmacht imprisoned in the Stalingrad boiler vainly demanded Hitlers permission for an evacuation maneuver. The leader categorically insisted on maintaining the city, but failed to secure adequate supplies to his men, and was forced to surrender after seven months of fighting. With 800,000 men dead, wounded and captured, the Germans were knocked down on their knees. Soviet losses exceeded 1 million, but for the first time since the beginning of the war, the Red Army gained dominance, headed west and stopped two years later in Berlin...

The reverse side of the coin was made by the expert medal maker Luboš Charvát. It is dominated by the iconic Soviet tank T 34/76, while a German soldier attacks it with a grenade in order to stop the armored colossus. The battle scenery is complemented by the Soviet flag and at first glance an unusual scene, a circle of children dancing around a crocodile - it is a legendary Stalingrad fountain that has survived the destruction of the surrounding city without bruising. The obverse side of the coin is then devoted to the attributes of the Niue island (the issuer which licenses the Czech Mint to coin its own coins), i.e the name and profile of Queen Elizabeth II, the year of the issue 2017 and the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD). The composition of the obverse side is complemented by five helmets belonging to the nations which have appeared on war coins - German, US, Soviet, British and Japanese.

Keep in mind that you can store the complete collection of four gold coins in the thematic metal etui available at the Czech Mint.