Slovak coin 5 EUR 2023 - Bear stand

Another issue from the series of commemorative euro coins dedicated to Slovak fauna and flora, commemorates the brown bear.

The brown bear is the largest European carnivore, weighing around 200 kilograms, but the vast majority of its food is plants. It does not usually hunt carnivorous prey, but prefers carcasses, insects and, of course, honey. It is not strictly territorial and spends the winter hibernating, which lasts up to a quarter of a year. Although bears are mostly vegetarians, notorious loners and hibernators, they strike fear in humans. However, they will only harm humans in rare cases when the basic rules of contact with these majestic animals are not followed. Because humans are not kind enough to bears, the entire species, which is the most widespread bear species on the planet, is listed as endangered. There are 200,000 brown bears worldwide, with around 1,000 in Slovakia. This Western Carpathian population, which is found over one third of Slovakia, represents a unique genetic lineage that is isolated from the rest of the Carpathian Arc.

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of medal maker Tomáš Lamač, DiS., is dominated by a bear family - a female bear with two cubs hunting for fish. It also bears the Slovak and Latin names of the species: MEDVEĎ HNEDÝ – URSUS ARCTOS. The obverse side of the coin then presents a detail of the head of the bear roaring and baring its fangs. The coin's relief also features the Slovak national emblem, the inscription SLOVAKIA, the year of issue 2023 and the nominal value of 5 EURO.

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