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Commemorative coin 2 euros of the Republic of Slovenia, issued in 2024 with a circulation of 1,000,000 copies. Dedicated to the 250th anniversary of NUK. Minted at the Royal Netherlands Mint. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts the stylized facade of NUK - the characteristic building of Plečnik with colored brick mosaic. Above - "NUK 250", below - "SLOVENIJA" with the dates "1774-2024". Utrecht Mint mark. On the outer ring are 12 five-pointed EU stars.
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 - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right - a map with six thin horizontal lines. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the European Union. The edge - with thin ribbing and the inscription "SLOVENIJA ★", repeated.
Historical context
The National and University Library of Slovenia (Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, NUK) is the largest library in Slovenia, the national library of the country and the central library of the University of Ljubljana. Its history begins in 1774, when the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa ordered the creation of a public library in Ljubljana based on the book collections of the dissolved Jesuit monasteries. In 1791, the library received the privilege of a legal deposit of all books printed in Carniola. In 1919, with the founding of the University of Ljubljana, the library also became a university library. The modern NUK building is a masterpiece of architecture by Jože Plečnik (1936-1941), one of the most famous Slovenian monuments of the 20th century. It has a characteristic facade with a colored brick mosaic, a symbolic "dark flight of stairs" leading to a familiar "light" reading room. The NUK collections include over 2.8 million items. In 2021, the NUK building was added to the UNESCO List.