Results of the Public Anonymous Competition for the Art Design of a Silver Collector Coin in Nominal Value of 20 Euro Protection of Nature and Landscape – Poloniny National Park

Third prize and realization
Karol Ličko

Second prize
akad. soch. Ivan Řehák

Third prize
PhDr. Kliment Mitura

Third prize
Karol Ličko

In July 2009, Národná banka Slovenska announced an anonymous public competition to create a design for a silver collector coin in nominal value of 20 euro with the theme “Protection of nature and landscape – Poloniny National Park”. Ten authors submitted fifteen artworks in the competition. The NBS Governor’s Commission for the Assessment of Art Designs of Slovak Euro Cois assessed them in November 2009. Professional advisors to the commission during the evaluation were RNDr. Jana Durkošová, representative of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, and Ing. Marian Gič, representative of the Administration of Poloniny National Park.

The commission recommended a creative design by academic sculptor Ivan Řehák for realization, which was awarded the second prize in the competition. The commission was impressed and captivated by this unconventional modern solution and by its interesting dynamic composition. On the obverse of the design is a rendition of the European bison which in Slovakia roams freely only on the territory of Poloniny; on the reverse is a motive of typical beech growth supplemented by a purple hellebore. Professional advisors to the commission commented on the design stating that the bison is rendered in an unnatural posture.

Although the commission recommended this design for realization, the governor utilised his right arising from the terms of public competition which allow him to decide differently from the commission’s recommendation, and on the basis of the authorization from Bank Board of the NBS he decided to approve the design which received the lower third prize in the competition, by the artist Karol Ličko. On the obverse of the design, the artist chose a characteristic landscape motif of Poloniny with purple hellebore in the foreground. On the reverse, he placed two wolves in a setting with a fallen trunk and branches of beech growth. With regard to the commission’s assertion about certain imperfections in his depiction of wolves, the artist adjusted their appearance before the realization.

First prize was not awarded in the competition. Third prize was awarded to PhDr. Kliment Mitura. In his design, the commission highlighted mainly the harmonic and faithful rendition of the obverse depicting beech trunks and a purple hellebore. On the reverse, the author created a composition of a landscape motif, a bison’s head, Dianthus barbatus and a traditional architectonic element of Poloniny, the oboroh (type of a simple barn). Lower third prize was awarded to another design, the author of which is Karol Ličko. On the obverse of this design he depicted a bison, on the reverse, an oboroh supplemented with typical representatives of flora.