100th anniversary of the first international sports tournament in the territory of the Slovak Republic – the Ice Hockey European Championship
€10 silver collector coin
The 1925 Ice Hockey European Championship was originally scheduled to take place in Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia. Due to mild weather conditions, however, the event was relocated to the High Tatras, in what is now Slovakia. This marked the first-ever hosting of an international sporting event on Slovak territory, with teams from Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Austria and Switzerland participating. The championship was held from 8 to 11 January 1925 at Štrbské Pleso and Starý Smokovec. Unfortunately, the weather again posed a challenge, with harsh conditions complicating the work of the organisers. Nevertheless, the tournament was successfully completed, and the Czechoslovakian team claimed the title of European champions. Following the tournament, the popularity of ice hockey—then widely referred to in Europe as ‘Canadian hockey’—grew rapidly among Slovaks, who had previously shown more interest in bandy, a sport played on ice with a ball.
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Coin description
Obverse:
The obverse depicts a moment of goalmouth action from an ice hockey match played in Starý Smokovec during the 1925 Ice Hockey European Championship, featuring the goaltender on the left and a skater on the right. To the right of the image is the Slovak coat of arms. To the left of the goaltender’s legs is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies; to the right are the stylised initials ‘KL’ of the designer, Karol Ličko. Inscribed along the bottom edge of the design are the name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ and the year of issuance ‘2025’.Reverse:
The reverse shows an ice hockey player in action, wearing a style of uniform typical of the 1920s. He is set against a stylised panorama of the High Tatras. The inscription ‘MAJSTROVSTVÁ EURÓPY V HOKEJI’ (Ice Hockey European Championship) appears with the first word along the top edge of the design and the rest along the bottom edge, followed by the year ‘1925’. Above the lower part of the inscription, between the player’s stick and legs, are the coin’s denomination ’10’ and currency ‘EURO’, one above the other.
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Coin details
Designer: Karol Ličko Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Weight: 18 g Diameter: 34 mm Edge: • MAJSTROVSTVÁ EURÓPY V KANADSKOM HOKEJI 1925
(1925 European Championship in ice (‘Canadian’) hockey)Producer: Kremnica Mint Engraver: Dalibor Schmidt Issuing volume: 5,300 coins in brilliant uncirculated quality
12,000 coins in proof qualityIssuing date: 20 January 2025