The Bank of Slovakia debuts a silver coin set reissuing three of their base-metal Flora & Fauna coins in precious metal

In mid-2021, the National Bank of Slovakia embarked on a new base-metal coin program, simply called ‘Fauna and Flora in Slovakia’. To date, there have been eight designs, released two per year, but they’re all fauna so far, with five mammals, two birds, and a solitary insect, making up the range. The first 2025 issue is due in May, and that’s a bird as well, so flora coin fans will need to look elsewhere.

Each coin, Euro denominated, has some nice depictions of the animal on both faces, often a portrait and a behavioural image. What’s of interest to us here, is the launch last week of a three-coin reissue set of a trio of those coins, but in proof fine silver. These are struck by Pressburg Mint, as opposed to the base-metal coins, which were done by the Kremnica Mint. Both are based in Slovakia, however. The two versions look identical, except for the denomination (smaller on the silver!), and the date, plus the silver has a larger diameter, and the Pressburg Mint mark.

The three designs chosen for the set are the 2021 Grey Wolf, the 2022 Eurasian Lynx, and the 2023 Brown Bear, and they’re by a mix of artists. Each brings their own style to the series, and it results in a varied look, but a coherent, well-balanced one. The coins carry the Slovak name for the animal, and, except for the wolf coin, also the scientific name. It’s a great nature set, and we’d be happy to see them do this again with three more of the earlier coins, which comprise the 2021 Honeybee, the 2022 Tatra Chamois, the 2023 Black Stork, the 2024 Western Capercaillie, and the 2024 Bison. The 2025 Imperial Eagle launches in base-metal on the 19 May, so they could do a three-bird silver set in 2026. The second 2025 coin (due in September), and the 10th overall, will be the Danube Salmon.