The eighth silver coin of the Czech Mint from the series Armoured Technology commemorates the German tank PzKpfw V Panther, which served during the Second World War.

The T-34 tanks, which German soldiers encountered after the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, meant a serious threat to the invaders. The Nazi General Staff's direct response to the advanced enemy machine was the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther medium tank, whose design was visibly inspired by the Soviet one. The hull of the Panther, which left the factory in 1943, was welded together from steel plates that gripped at sharp angles, thus providing a high degree of protection. The effective long-barrelled had excellent firepower. Wide tracks combined with large running wheels and a powerful engine ensured good off-road mobility. A number of shortcomings were also revealed during testing, however, there was no time to fix them - Adolf Hitler decided that the new armoured vehicle would have been deployed at the Battle of Kursk. A successful deployment in the greatest tank engagement of all time ended in fiasco due to frequent mechanical failures. Despite the initial setbacks, however, the Panther quickly matured into the best German tank of World War II. The continuously improved machine took on Allied forces in Normandy, where it shone, taking out enemy Shermans, Cromwells and Churchills at a distance of one kilometre. Some examples even boasted a night vision scope. In late 1944, the Panthers joined the Ardennes offensive, but they did not avert the defeat of the Third Reich. Their numbers were insufficient and their consumption of scarce fuel too high…

The reverse side of the commemorative coin, which is the work of medal maker Petr Patka, DiS., presents two depictions of a German tank - the three-quarter view is supplemented with a side silhouette. A inscription of the PzKpfw V Panther and a detail of the tank belt complete the composition. The belts 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 2023.

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