Košice, the second largest Slovak city holds the European Capital of Culture 2013 title. The first written notice about the town dates back to 1230. Košice is unique in that it was the first city in Europe to gain a royal warrant for a coat of arms. Many precious historical monuments were preserved in the historical core of this current cultural and religious centre of Slovakia – it represents the biggest reservoir of historical monuments in Slovakia.
The design for the coin was created by creative artist Karol Ličko – winner of a public tender. The main motif on the obverse side of the coin is a cut-out from a veduta painted by G. Houfnagel in 1617 complemented with the town’s historic coat-of-arms which – together with the state emblem – forms an integrated whole.
The reverse side features dominating buildings of the town monument reserve – St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral with St. Michael’s Chapel in the forefront. The patron of the city, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, is depicted on the left by the relief on the main altar in St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral. The composition is enclosed by text in circumscription.