Slovenia · 600th anniversary of the coronation of Barbara Celjska

Issue date17 Nov 2014

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions5

Edge letteringSLOVENIJA •

InscriptionSLOVENIJA / BARBARA CELJSKA / 1414-2014

DesignerPrimož Fijavž, Boštjan Botas Kenda, Peter Rauch

mintKoninklijke Nederlandse Munt, Utrecht

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 600th anniversary of the coronation of Barbara Celjska. The design features a cross-hatched depiction of Queen Barbara von Cilli with her sceptre, as well as three six-pointed stars typical of the Cillier noble family. It is complemented by the inscriptions “SLOVENIJA” and “BARBARA CELJSKA” and the years “1414-2014”.

The design

The main motif of the coin is a hatched depiction of Queen Barbara von Cilli with her sceptre. The motif also features three six-pointed stars typical of the Cillier noble family. On the left is the inscription “SLOVENIJA”, and on the right “BARBARA CELJSKA” and the years “1414-2014”. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

Barbara Celjska, known in German as Barbara von Cilli, was descended from the Counts of Cilli. The dynasty was based in what is now Celje and rose in the late Middle Ages to become an influential power between the Alpine region, Hungary and the Balkans. Barbara’s father, Hermann II. von Cilli, was a close ally of Sigismund of Luxembourg, King of Hungary. The marriage between Barbara and Sigismund consolidated this political alliance.

The coronation of 1414 took place in Aachen. Barbara was crowned Queen of the Romans, while Sigismund received the crown of the King of the Romans. This title referred to the Holy Roman Empire and was not equivalent to the title of a queen of present-day Germany. Sigismund was later crowned emperor in Rome; Barbara received the imperial crown there. Through her marriage, she also held the titles of Queen of Hungary and Queen of Bohemia.

Barbara was involved in the exercise of power not only as a consort. During Sigismund’s extended absences, she temporarily assumed administrative responsibilities in the Kingdom of Hungary. She owned extensive property and had her own income. Together with Sigismund, she was one of the founding figures of the Drachenorden, an alliance of nobles intended to secure the king’s rule and oppose Ottoman expansion.

For Slovenia, Barbara represents a link between the history of the territory of the present-day state and the dynastic networks of late medieval Europe. The Counts of Cilli are also present in Slovenian state symbolism: their heraldic stars were incorporated into the present coat of arms. The coin issue therefore commemorates not only a single coronation, but also the memory of a ruling dynasty whose political sphere of influence extended far beyond the territory of present-day Slovenia.