Silver coin Cathedral of St. Elizabeth - The main altar of St. Elizabeth SK proof
Silver coin Cathedral of St. Elizabeth - The main altar of St. Elizabeth SK proof
The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint
Cathedral of St. Elizabeth
St. Elizabeth Cathedral in Košice is the largest church in Slovakia and the easternmost European cathedral built in the High Gothic style. The first silver coin of the Czech Mint's four-part miniseries, which pays tribute to the Košice sanctuary, features a depiction of the main altar.
The main altar of the Košice Cathedral, which is the top work of medieval Gothic art in Slovakia, is the only surviving altar of its kind in the whole of Europe. It consists of two pairs of movable wings, which present a total of forty-eight religious scenes. Each of the wings bears six paintings on one side, with the scenes divided into three thematic cycles. The twenty-four-part Passion cycle recalls events from the life of Jesus Christ, the twelve-part Advent cycle presents scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, and the most artistically valuable twelve-part cycle is dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia. The scenes from the life of the Hungarian princess, who devoted her life to the care of the poor and needy, stand out for their aesthetic sensitivity and testify to the strength of the Elizabethan cult in Košice. Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia is also represented by one of the three polychrome statues placed in the centre of the altar. The other two sculptures commemorate her namesake, Saint Elizabeth of the Bible, and finally the Madonna and Child Jesus.
On the reverse side of the coin, which is the work of medal maker Lenka Nebeská DiS., you will find a detailed depiction of the altar with wings and statues. The composition of the reverse side is supplemented with the Slovak inscription HLAVNÝ OLTÁR SV. ALŽBETY. As this is a coin issued with a foreign license from the island of Niue, the obverse side bears the necessary attributes of this issuer - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR and the year of issue 2022. All this is supplemented with gothic ornaments.
The collection of coins with motifs of the Košice Cathedral is placed in a collector's box that you can also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.