The first tanks - war machines that combined extraordinary defensive and offensive capabilities - appeared on the battlefields of World War I. However, it was not until the Second World War that they became the truly dominant force that dominated the battlefield and determined victory or defeat. At that time, the various superpowers sought their own way - each had a different idea of the design and deployment of armoured vehicles, so a plethora of deadly machines were created…

The most famous tanks fighting on all fronts of World War II are represented by a set of four gold coins:

• Mk VIII Cromwell - The heavy cruiser tank gave British tankers the opportunity to be equal opponents of the Germans. It could match medium tanks due to its armour and firepower, but at the same time remained agile. It was even the fastest British tank of the war years.

•  T-34/76 - When the Third Reich attacked the Soviet Union, the encounter with medium tanks that were kept secret, surprised the Germans. Fast and easy to operate, the machine's sloping armor provided twice the protection of the steel plates used.

• M4 Sherman - The most important tank of the US Army had a balanced combination of mobility, armour protection and firepower. It was an excellent platform on which a number of special purpose versions were built - engineer tanks, rocket launchers or mine clearance carriers.

• PzKpfw VI Tiger - The expert crew of the heavy breakthrough tank with its fearsome gun was able to take out dozens of enemy armoured vehicles in a single engagement, survive and repeat their success. Not surprisingly, the mere mention of the presence of these machines on the battlefield threatened the Third Reich's enemies.

While the first two coins in the set were made by the medal maker Luboš Charvát, the other two were created by MgA. Martin Dašek. The reverse side of each coin presents two depictions of the tank - a three-quarter view and a side silhouette. The composition of the reverse sides is always completed by the name of the tank and a detail of the respective tank belt. The bands can also be found on the obverse side of the coins, which is common to the entire tank set. As the licence to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is granted by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side still bears its necessary attributes - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 25 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2022.

The mintage is only 99 complete sets. A tin case is an integral part of each set.