The ninth silver coin of the Czech Mint from the series Obrněná technika (Armoured Technology) features the American tank M26 Pershing, which served during World War II.

When the United States of America involved in the Second World War, the generals favoured highly mobile armoured forces that were capable of carrying out rapid bypasses and penetrating the enemy rear. Their backbone was the M4 Sherman medium tanks. They were reliable, easy to maintain and factories churned out thousands of units a month. At first they kept pace with their German counterparts, but soon met stiff resistance in the form of the advanced Tiger and Panther types. Increasing losses of equipment showed that the US Army desperately needed a heavy tank. Therefore, the once-stalled development was restarted, and the first units were produced by the end of 1944. At the time, the Allies had a difficult time in the Ardennes, where the Nazis were mounting a massive counteroffensive, and needed the new armor. The heavily armed and heavily armored American M26 Pershing machines arrived on the battlefield in early 1945. Compared to the Tigers, they were lighter and more compact, but just as durable, thanks to ballistic armour shaping. Their 90 mm cannon was one of the most effective anti-tank weapons on the Western Front. The effectiveness of the weapon was further enhanced by a sophisticated sighting system with rapid turret rotation and a gun stabilizer that allowed American tankers to fire without stopping. Despite its qualities, the Pershing did not impact on the fighting of World War II. They came too late. But they set the course for future developments. Because of their light weight, they were reclassified as medium tanks and eventually shone in the Korean War.

The reverse side of the commemorative coin, which is the work of medal maker MgA. Martin Dašek, presents two depictions of the American tank - the three-quarter view is supplemented with a side silhouette. An inscription of the M26 PERSHING and a detail of the tank belt complete the composition. The stripes can also be found on the obverse side of the coin, which is common to the entire tank series. As the licence to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is granted by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary elements - the national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2024.

The coin is supplemented with a spectacular packaging in the form of a catalogue card full of period photographs, interesting facts and tactical data. The individual cards can be stored in a collector's case that you can also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.