Results of the public competition for the design of a €100 gold collector coin commemorating Mojmír I, ruler of Great Moravia

First prize and the design selected for the coin
Miroslav Schovanec

Second prize
Mária Poldaufová

Third prize
Miroslav Rónai

In June 2018 Národná banka Slovenska (NBS) announced a public competition for the design of a €100 gold collector coin commemorating Mojmír I, ruler of Great Moravia.

A total of twelve designs by nine designers were entered in the competition. In November 2018 the designs were evaluated anonymously by NBS’s Committee for the Assessment of Commemorative and Collector Coin Designs. The Committee was assisted in its task by an expert adviser, Ján Steinhübel from the Institute of History of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

On the Committee’s recommendation, the NBS Bank Board awarded first prize to a design by Miroslav Schovanec and approved it for the coin. The Committee praised the design for the harmony between the obverse and reverse compositions, which was supported by the use of the same decorative motifs on each side. The obverse design is divided into three parts. The lower half features depictions of two sacred symbols – authentic Great Moravian crosses – placed symmetrically at either side of the Slovak coat of arms. The upper half is vertically divided by a decorative strip into two quarters with the figure of an angel shown in each. The reverse is dominated by an imagined portrait of Mojmír I.

Second prize went to a design by Mária Poldaufová, with the Committee again noting the harmony between each side’s composition, in this case achieved through details of architectural arches. The obverse shows Mojmír I on horseback, giving an order to advance by pointing a sword. The reverse shows an imagined portrait of the ruler in profile.

Third prize was awarded to Miroslav Rónai. His obverse design portrays a period fortification with entrance gate, along with examples of Great Moravian jewellery art and decorative fasteners from a Moravian nobleman’s garment. The reverse is filled with a profile portrait of Mojmír I.

Additional prizes were awarded to Michal Gavula, Pavel Károly and Zbyněk Fojtů in recognition of the high quality of their designs.