300th anniversary of the birth of Ján Andrej Segner

200 Sk Commemorative Silver Coin

Jan Andrej Segner (4. 10. 1704 – 5. 10. 1777), a physician, physicist, teacher and inventor, and a native of Bratislava, was one of the most important scientists and engineers of the 18th century.

He became known as the inventor of the co-called Segner Wheel, which was set into rotation by the reactive force of a stream of water flowing from bent pipes. The wheel was perfected by his contemporary, Leonard Euler. This invention led to the construction of water turbines, and, later on, rockets. Also remarkable are Segner’s works dealing with the shapes of drops of water under the influence of forces in the air, a treatise on the convex and concave surfaces of liquids and forces coming into effect therein, as well as his discoveries in optics and astronomy. He was a successful teacher at the universities of Jena, Göttingen and Halle. His textbooks on mathematics and physics were among the most sought after and several editions were published.

Popis mince

Lícna strana:
Segner’s important invention – the Segner wheel – is depicted on the obverse in the middle of the coin inside a rectangular frame. The name of the state SLOVENSKA REPUBLIKA is in the legend near the top edge of the coin divided by the national coat of arms. The year of mint, 2004, is found below it. The nominal value, 200 Sk, is near the bottom edge of the coin. The stylized initials of Maria Poldaufova, the designer, are located on the right and the trademark of the mint is on the left near the bottom edge of the frame.

Rubová strana:
The portrait of Jan Andrej Segner is depicted on the reverse in the middle of the coin in a circle. The circle is surrounded by seven drawings representing the development of the construction of the Segner wheel, his name JAN ANDREJ SEGNER is located on the bottom. The year of his birth, 1704 is near the left edge of the coin, the year of his death, 1777 is on the right side.