The first issue of the new series of commemorative euro coins dedicated to Slovak fauna and flora features the honey bee.

Honey bees are an extremely useful insect species and their role in the ecosystem of the entire planet is irreplaceable. It's certainly not just about honey production, which these industrious creatures have embedded right in their name. Much more important is their ability to pollinate green vegetation - agricultural crops and wild plants. Albert Einstein once said that when bees become extinct, mankind will outlive them by just four years. There will be no crops and animals and people will starve without pollination. Yet we take the bees for granted and do not take into account that they are disappearing from the world irrevocably. Climate change, intensive farming, the use of chemicals, as well as bacteria, mites and alien beetles are all contributing to their decline.

Slovak medal maker Karol Ličko placed a bee sitting on a flower on the reverse side of the coin. The obverse side presents a trio of bees on a honeycomb full of honey. The relief of the coin also features the Slovak national emblem, the texts SLOVENSKO 2021 (Slovakia 202) and VČELA MEDONOSNÁ (Honey Bee), together with the nominal value of 5 EURO.

The base metal commemorative coin was minted by the Kremnica Mint and issued by the National Bank of Slovakia.