Slovakia

2009

Commemorative coin

20th anniversary of 17 November 1989 (Day of the fight for freedom and democracy)

Official Journal of the European Union

The inner part of the coin depicts a stylised bell made up of a series of keys. This recalls the demonstration on 17 November 1989, when marching citizens shook their bunches of keys to make a jangling sound. This marked the beginning of the Velvet Revolution. To the bottom right of the design are the artist’s mark and the mint mark of the Slovak Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica). The design is surrounded above by the legend ‘17. NOVEMBER SLOBODA — DEMOKRACIA’ and the dates ‘1989-2009’ and below by the name of the issuing country, ‘SLOVENSKO’. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Key alliances became the symbol of soft resistance in Czechoslovakia in 1989. The demonstrators wanted to herald the turnaround with their keys ringing over their heads. Thus a key that swings as a clapper in a bell is the symbol of the "Velvet Revolution" and the motif of the coin.

Edge lettering

Designer