The year 2023 marks 100 years since the first blood transfusion in Slovakia. This anniversary is commemorated by a Slovak commemorative coin.

In the 1920s, there were only two hundred doctors in eastern Slovakia - one third of them in Košice, where there was a relatively large hospital. However, the fact that there were few Slovak doctors does not mean that they were not scientific. The proof was MUDr. Ján Kňazovický, whose name is inextricably linked with the development of vascular surgery in Košice. He performed the first blood transfusion in Slovakia in 1923 and became a Czechoslovak pioneer who saved countless lives. A tribute to the man who operated until he was nearly ninety years old is today the highest Slovak award given to blood donors. The medal of Ján Kňazovický is awarded to men for 100 and to women for 80 non-contributory donations…

Medal maker Mária Poldaufová dedicated the obverse side of the coin to a symmetrical composition of blood drops and tubes. She placed a cross with symbols of blood groups in the middle of the image. The text on the obverse side states PRVÁ TRANSFÚZIA KRVI, 1923-2023, SLOVENSKO. The reverse side then presents all the elements of a valid coin with a nominal value of €2.

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