Slovenia 3 € commemorative coin 2024 - 150th birthday of Rudolf Maister

Face vakue: 3 euro
Diameter; 32 mm
Weight: 15,0 g
Alloy: Bimetal;CuNi, nordic gold
Quality: UNC

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Scorpio is the second Mars sign, and the one that most relates to Ares: while the fiery aspects of Aries might relate to him to some extent, it’s the more emotional Scorpio that resonates closer to him and his primal nature. As the later Autumn sign, Scorpio is related to Winter’s start, and thus to sunset-like conditions: as the Sun dims, so does life. Scorpio is defined by it’s loyalty bordering on possessiveness, as well as a rather strong impulsive nature but consciously made subtle or even outright hidden. Ares displays a surprising amount of loyalty to his family, even when most of Olympus doesn’t like him very much, and while numerous, his affairs are occult, unlike Zeus’ or Apollo’s. This reflects water as darkness: driven by strong impulses, but with the element of mystery and hidden nature. Due to Scorpio’s vindictiveness and hidden nature, it is often considered the most malign of the signs, just as Ares is the most distrusted of the Olympians, but neither are “evil” and while unpleasant they are necessary for the inner workings of nature. Darkness is after all important to health in it’s Melatonin friendliness, especially when it’s connected to water.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Artemis still remains intrinsic to the Sagittarius sign to this day: after all, who among the Olympians is the archer goddess, associated with the forests and the primeval might of the centaur? Like her brother Apollo, Artemis is a goddess of fiery arrows, illuminating the darkness and destroying those who offend her, and her role in this department might even be more relevant than her brother's. Sagittarius is also the first sign of the night as the beginning of the winter, relating to Artemis' intrinsic nature as a goddess of moonlight. The association of Sagittarius with Artemis also relates to her cult's rivalry with primitive Christianity: Sagittarius is the sign of truth and knowledge, and Artemis is the light bearer.

Face value: 5 €
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 19.1 g
Metal: Brass
Mintage: 40,000

The black stork is an unmistakable bird species. The adult has mainly black plumage with white underparts, long coral red legs and a long pointed beak. The beak and eye areas are the same colour as the legs, and the black plumage has an intense greenish-purple sheen. Adults weigh between around 2.4 kg and 3.2 kg. Black storks are distributed throughout most of Europe and Asia, and most forest areas of Slovakia are nesting sites for these birds. They typically nest in mature deciduous and mixed forests, preferring areas with wetlands and watercourses where they can forage for food. They select large trees with strong horizontal branches and show high fidelity to breeding sites and nesting trees. The base of the nest is formed by thick branches, while the interior is lined with twigs, clumps of grass, lichens and moss. The female lays two to four eggs. Both parents feed the fledglings by regurgitating food onto the nest floor. Black storks feed on smaller fish, amphibians, insects, gastropods, small mammals and small birds. They migrate to wintering grounds mainly in August and September. In Slovakia, the black stork is a protected species.

Obverse:
The obverse of the euro collector coin depicts a black stork hunting on a body of water. In the background is a tree with a stork’s nest. An adult stork is depicted flying towards a chick in the nest, carrying food in its beak. On the upper left side is the Slovak coat of arms and, above it, the year of issuance ‘2023’. On the right side is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies. Inscribed along part of the right edge is the name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’.

Reverse:
The reverse design depicts a black stork taking flight. To the right of this image are the denomination ‘5’ and currency ‘EURO’, one above the other. In the lower part of the design, next to the stork’s legs, are the stylised initials ‘MŠ’, referring to the coin’s designer Marie Šeborová. Inscribed along the lower edge and separated by a medial dot are the Slovak and scientific names for the black stork: ‘BOCIAN ČIERNY’ and ‘CICONIA NIGRA’.

Quality: Uncirculated
Face Value: 10 Euro
Diameter: 32 mm
Material: Copper
Total Weight: 15 g
Mintage: 130 000
Without capsule


In England the peony is sometimes referred to as the ‘rose royale’ and the Chinese word for peony means ‘the most beautiful’. Peonies have been painted by many European artists and the opulent beauty of the peony has long been a popular subject in Chinese and Japanese literature, painting and decoration. A Chinese legend has it that a capricious empress commanded all the flowers in her garden to blossom at the same time. All acquiesced apart from the peony. Annoyed by the flower’s refusal, the empress banished it to the coldest reaches of the empire, yet despite the inhospitable environment, the peony thrived. The empress, duly impressed, allowed the peony to return, declaring it the ‘queen of all flowers’.

Issuing Country: France
Face value: 5 €
Metal: Copper/Nickel
Diameter: 29 mm
Quality: B.U.
Mintage: 25 000

The wheel of the zodiac signs is engraved on the coin's gold-colored crown. One sign stands out from the background because it is larger than the others and has a sandblasted background, different from the smoother one of the others. It is the Lion symbol. Part of the wheel is hidden by flames, a reminder of the element of the Leo sign, fire. The circular space is dominated by the bust of a Lion with a masterly mane, a sun on his forehead and a noble gaze. The background features a starry sky with the constellation Leo.