Gold coin Cathedral of St. Elizabeth - The main altar of St. Elizabeth SK proof
Gold 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 gold 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 was built between 1474 and 1477. The most important part of the interior of the cathedral is also one of the most important monuments of medieval Gothic art in Slovakia. The altar is truly unique - it is made up of two pairs of movable wings that present a total of forty-eight religious scenes. Each of the wings bears six paintings on one side, and the scenes are divided into three thematic groups. The first twelve-part cycle is devoted to scenes from the life of St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, the patron saint of the entire temple. The second twenty-four-part cycle, which is exhibited during the Lenten season before Easter, is a Passion cycle and recalls events from the life of Jesus Christ. The third twelve-part cycle is Advent and presents scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The original altar with its triple composition of cycles on two pairs of wings is the only one in Europe that has survived. In addition to the paintings, it is decorated with a trio of statues placed in the middle of the altar cabinet, representing Saint Elizabeth of the Bible, Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia and the Madonna and Child.
A detailed depiction of the altar with wings and statues can be found on the reverse side of the coin, which is the work of medal maker Lenka Nebeská DiS. The composition of the reverse side is supplemented with the Slovak inscription HLAVNÝ OLTÁR SV. ALŽBETY. As this is a coin issued with the foreign licence of 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 10 DOLLARS and the year of issue 2022. All this is supplemented with gothic ornaments.
Coins with motifs of the Košice Cathedral can be stored in a collector's etui that can also be found in the offer of the Czech Mint.