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A 2 euro commemorative coin of the Slovak Republic, issued in 2022 in a circulation of 1,000,000 copies. Dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the first steam engine in continental Europe. It was minted at Mincovňa Kremnica. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts a stylized composition of the first steam engine — beam, cylinder, pump — as a technical invention of the early 18th century. At the top — "PARNÝ STROJ", at the bottom — "SLOVENSKO" with the dates "1722-2022" and the signature "NOVÁ BAŇA". Mark of the Kremnica Mint. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the EU.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders - a symbol of European unity. On the left is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map with six thin horizontal lines. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The rim is finely fluted and has the inscription "SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA" with two linden leaves.
Historical context
In 1722, in the city of Nová Baňa (then Hungary, now Slovakia), engineer Isaac Potter (an Englishman of Scottish descent) built the first atmospheric steam engine on the European continent - according to a patent by the English inventor Thomas Newcomen in 1712. The machine was intended for pumping groundwater from silver and gold mines, which were an important source of income for the Habsburg monarchy. The area of Banská Štiavnica and Nová Baňa has been a traditional center of mining since the Middle Ages. Potter's steam engine operated from 1722 to the 1740s. This was a real technical revolution - the first industrial steam engine in continental Europe (Newcomen in England - 1712). After Potter, the Mining Academy (Bergakademie) was established in Banská Štiavnica in 1735 - the first higher technical educational institution in the world. This region of Slovakia was then one of the most advanced technological centers in Europe.