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CC 89 2011
Coin set
BU
BU Mint Set
Slovakia · 20 years of the Visegrád Agreement
Mintage12,000
Issue price€20.00
Issue date10 Jan 2011
PackagingCoin set
Edge letteringSLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA + ★ + Linden leaf + ★
Market price€17.00
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Visegrád Group on 15 February 1991. The design shows the outlines of its four member states, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as the stylised abbreviation “V IV”. The inscriptions “VYŠEHRADSKÁ SKUPINA • VISEGRAD GROUP” and the founding date “15.2.1991” appear around the edge.
The design
The inner part of the coin depicts the outlines of the four countries comprising the Visegrád Group: the Republic of Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Hungary. The design is complemented by the stylised abbreviation “V IV”. The name of the issuing country, “SLOVENSKO”, is struck at the bottom right. The year “2011” is shown at the bottom left. Arranged in a circle around the design are the legend “VYŠEHRADSKÁ SKUPINA • VISEGRAD GROUP” and the date of the founding of the Visegrád Group (“15.2.1991”). The initials “MR” of the coin designer Miroslav Rónai and the mark “MK” of the Kremnica Mint appear below the name of the country. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.
Background on the topic
The cooperation emerged during the political and economic transformation following the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe. At a meeting in the Hungarian town of Visegrád, the Czechoslovak President Václav Havel, the Polish President Lech Wałęsa and the Hungarian Prime Minister József Antall agreed on closer coordination. Initially, the cooperation was therefore also referred to as the “Visegrád Triangle”. It was only after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into two independent states in 1993 that the cooperation assumed its present form with four participants.
The focus was on establishing democratic institutions and market-economy structures, as well as the return of the participating countries to European and transatlantic alliances. To this end, they coordinated political positions, supported each other in reforms and cooperated in areas such as the economy, infrastructure, education and culture. Poland, Czechia and Hungary joined NATO in 1999, with Slovakia following in 2004. In the same year, all four countries became members of the European Union.
The designation also refers to a medieval meeting of rulers in Visegrád. In 1335, the kings of Bohemia, Poland and Hungary met there to settle political and economic issues. The historical place name thus established a connection with earlier forms of regional cooperation in Central Europe.
The Visegrád Group (Visegrád-Gruppe) is not an international organisation with a permanent administrative apparatus. Its work is based primarily on regular meetings, rotating presidencies and coordination between the governments. A permanent institution is the International Visegrád Fund (Internationaler Visegrád-Fonds), based in Bratislava. Among other things, it supports cross-border projects in culture, science, education and civil society.
For Slovakia, the anniversary provided an opportunity to recall both the reorganisation of Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 and its own path into European and transatlantic structures. The coin issue thus places regional cooperation in the broader context of European integration.
The focus was on establishing democratic institutions and market-economy structures, as well as the return of the participating countries to European and transatlantic alliances. To this end, they coordinated political positions, supported each other in reforms and cooperated in areas such as the economy, infrastructure, education and culture. Poland, Czechia and Hungary joined NATO in 1999, with Slovakia following in 2004. In the same year, all four countries became members of the European Union.
The designation also refers to a medieval meeting of rulers in Visegrád. In 1335, the kings of Bohemia, Poland and Hungary met there to settle political and economic issues. The historical place name thus established a connection with earlier forms of regional cooperation in Central Europe.
The Visegrád Group (Visegrád-Gruppe) is not an international organisation with a permanent administrative apparatus. Its work is based primarily on regular meetings, rotating presidencies and coordination between the governments. A permanent institution is the International Visegrád Fund (Internationaler Visegrád-Fonds), based in Bratislava. Among other things, it supports cross-border projects in culture, science, education and civil society.
For Slovakia, the anniversary provided an opportunity to recall both the reorganisation of Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 and its own path into European and transatlantic structures. The coin issue thus places regional cooperation in the broader context of European integration.
Interesting Facts
This coin set contains all eight circulating coins from 1 cent to 2 euros, as well as this €2 commemorative coin (face value: €5.88).