Results of the public anonymous competition for the design of a 20-euro silver collector coin featuring the Historical Preservation Area of Košice

First prize and the selected design
Karol Ličko

Increased second prize
Mária Poldaufová

Reduced third prize
Štefan Novotný

In December 2011 Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) announced a public anonymous competition for the design of a 20-euro silver collector coin featuring the historical preservation area of Košice city. Twelve designs by eleven designers were entered in the competition. In April 2012 the entries were judged by the NBS Governor’s Committee for the Assessment of Designs for Slovak Euro Coins. The expert advisors to the Committee were Ing. arch. Viera Dvořáková, from the Monuments Board of the Slovak Republic, and M.A. Jozef Jarkovský, from the Regional Monuments Board of the city of Košice.

A design by Karol Ličko won the first prize in the competition and was approved for the coin. The Committee praised the accurate depiction of historical landmarks in Košice, the thematic and compositional balance between the obverse and reverse sides, and the fact that the design can be produced without any further modification. The obverse side shows a section of a 1617 townscape of Košice by Georg Houfnagel. The design is completed with the city’s historical coat of arms, the state emblem and inscription. The reverse side depicts some of the historical landmarks of the preservation area, including the late-Gothic Cathedral of St Elizabeth with its distinctive architecture and, in the foreground, the Chapel of St Michael. Situated on the left of the design is a statue of the town’s patron saint – St Elizabeth of Hungary – from the main altar of the cathedral. The composition is framed by a circular inscription.

An increased second prize was awarded to Mária Poldaufová. Her design was judged to be on a par with the winning entry in terms of its artistic and thematic qualities. Based on the same themes, her design stood out for its accomplished and detailed miniature drawing. The obverse side shows a townscape of Košice with the city’s Latin name and, below that, its historical coat of arms. On the reverse, the western façade of the Cathedral of St Elisabeth is depicted and to the left there is a portrait of St Elizabeth of Hungary, the city’s patron saint. The Committee had reservations about the Gothic script used for the name “Košice”, considering it to be difficult to read.

A reduced third prize was awarded to Štefan Novotný. The Committee appreciated the themes of the design and the well-depicted architecture. The obverse side gives prominence to the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and includes depictions of other landmarks in the historical preservation area – the Gothic Levoča House and the art nouveau Slávia Hotel. The history of Košice is further highlighted by the city seal. The reverse side features the Cathedral of St Elizabeth and the Chapel of St Michael, in front of which is a statue of St Elizabeth of Hungary.