Results of the public anonymous competition for the design of a silver 10-euro collector coin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ján Cikker

Reduced second prize and the selected obverse side design
PhDr. Kliment Mitura

Reduced second prize and the selected reverse side design
PhDr. Kliment Mitura

Reduced second prize
Miroslav Rónai

In July 2010, the National Bank of Slovakia announced a public anonymous competition for the design of a silver 10-euro collector coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer Ján Cikker, one of the most important figures in the history of Slovak music. Nineteen designs by sixteen designers were entered in the competition. In October 2010, the entries were judged by the NBS Governor’s Committee for the Assessment of Designs for Slovak Euro Coins. During the selection process, the Committee took expert advice from Mgr. art. Irena Michalicová, Director of the Ján Cikker Museum in Bratislava, and prof. Peter Michalica, Art.D., Chairman of the Ján Cikker Foundation.

As for the submitted designs, the Committee expressed certain reservations in regard to their content, composition, and portrayal of Ján Cikker. For this reason, it was recommended to combine the obverse and reverse sides of the two designs that had each been awarded a second prize. After the final decision, the bid envelopes containing the designers’ code words and names were opened, and it turned out that each of the designs was produced by PhDr. Kliment Mitura.

The design selected for the obverse side was the one that the Committee had commended for having an apposite content and balanced composition. The expert advisors particularly appreciated the depiction of the building of the Slovak National Theatre and other foreign opera houses, since Ján Cikker made his international name mainly in the area of opera compositions and saw his work performed on stages all over the world. In line with the Committee’s comments, the designer removed the nominal value from the obverse of the design since it was also on the reverse, and he also adjusted the position of the state emblem. The Committee considered the portrait on the reverse side to be unrealistic and disproportionate in comparison with other elements of the composition.

The portrait on the selected reverse side design was recognised by the Committee as being the most accurate depiction of Ján Cikker’s face and personality. While the Committee underlined the innovative style of the portrait and the composition as a whole, it stated that the obverse side of the design did not complement the artistic and compositional aspects of the reverse side, nor did it comply with the required contents.

A reduced second prize was also awarded to the designer Miroslav Rónai. His design was attractive for the balanced composition of the obverse and reverse sides. The obverse side had motifs of several music instruments and staff notation, while the reverse side showed a portrait accompanied by the composer’s facsimile signature and staff notation.

First and third prizes were not awarded in the competition.