Slovakia

2017

Commemorative coin

The 550th anniversary of the University Istropolitana

Official Journal of the European Union

The design shows the figure of a teacher and two students positioned before the facade of the building of the former Universitas Istropolitana in Bratislava. In the upper left of the design is a medallion of King Matthias Corvinus, the founder of the university. Above the medallion is the inscription ‘1467’, the year in which the university was opened. The country of issuance ‘SLOVENSKO’ appears at the base of the inner circle, above the year of issuance ‘2017’. Along the left edge of the inner circle is the inscription ‘UNIVERZITA’, and along the right edge ‘ISTROPOLITANA’. In the lower left of the design is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the initials ‘MK’ placed between two dies. Below the mint mark are the stylised letters ‘MP’, the initials of the designer, Mária Poldaufová. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Matthias Corvinus (1443-1490) was king of Hungary and Croatia 1458-1490, 1469-1490 (counter-)king of Bohemia and conqueror of large parts of the Habsburg hereditary lands (which he ruled from Vienna 1485-1490). In 1465 he founded the Universitas Istropolitana in Pressburg, which started teaching in 1467. Johann Vitez, the rector of the university, appointed many famous lecturers from Austria, Italy and Poland, among them Galeotto Marzio and Regiomontanus. The university was closed down in 1490 after Corvinus' death, as it was not financed. Today's successor institution is the Comenius University of Bratislava. The commemorative coin depicts the façade of the university, which today houses the University of Performing Arts Bratislava, and in front of it a professor and two students who were devoted to him. The medallion at the top left depicts Matthias Corvinius according to a chronicle written by Johannes de Thurocz / János Thurócz (≈1435-1489), holding an orb crowned by a cloverleaf cross. Next to it is the year of foundation "1467".

Edge lettering

Designer