Item number: A1687

Year: AD 1957

Material: Silver (.500)

Size: 29.9 x 29.9 x 2.0 mm

Weight: 12.0 g

Manufactured by: Kremnica Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a commemorative 10-koruna silver coin minted in AD 1957 by the Kremnica Mint and issued by the Czechoslovak State Bank to commemorate the Czech educator John Amos Comenius.

The obverse of the coin features a crowned double-tailed lion, a traditional symbol of Bohemia since the 13th century and a principal emblem of the Czech lands. The lion bears a shield with a double cross atop three peaks, representing Slovakia. The use of the double cross can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire and became a symbol of the Hungarian royal family following a dynastic union between the Byzantine and Hungarian monarchies in the 12th century. By the 13th century, the Hungarian royal coat of arms incorporated three hills at its base, symbolising the Tatra, Matra, and Fatra mountain ranges in Upper Hungary. In the 19th century, Slovak nationalists appropriated the Upper Hungarian coat of arms as a Slovak symbol, replacing the Hungarian red-white-green tricolour with the Slavic red-white-blue. The outer rim of the coin bears the Czech inscription “REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ,” denoting the “Czechoslovak Republic,” with “1957” inscribed below, marking the year of issue.

The reverse of the coin depicts a right-facing half-length portrait of John Amos Comenius (Iohannes Amos Comenius). To the upper left, “J. A. KOMENSKÝ” represents the Czech spelling of his name, while “1592 1670” inscribed to the lower right indicates his birth and death years. The denomination “10 Kčs” is inscribed at the lower left, signifying a face value of 10 koruna. The letter “D” to the right of the portrait represents the signature of the Czech sculptor František David (AD 1913–2002).

John Amos Comenius was a prominent Czech educator, philosopher, and religious leader, widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Education.” Born in Moravia (now within the Czech Republic), he was a member of the Unity of the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum), a Protestant group influenced by Jan Hus that emphasised simplicity, education, and religious freedom. Within this religious framework, Comenius advocated for universal education regardless of gender or social status, a concept that was revolutionary in contemporary European society. He introduced the “principle of intuitive learning,” promoting the use of tangible objects and visual aids to support education, a method exemplified in his work Orbis Pictus, widely considered the first illustrated children’s textbook. Furthermore, he championed the age-based grading system, a foundational concept in modern schooling. During the Thirty Years’ War (AD 1618–1648), the Habsburg monarchy suppressed the Unity of the Brethren, forcing Comenius into exile. He travelled across Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, continuing to promote educational and pacifist ideals. His contributions laid the foundation for Czech education and became a lasting symbol of Czech cultural and religious reform, exerting influence to this day.

In AD 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, supported by the Soviet Union, orchestrated the February Coup (Februárový puč), eliminating all non-communist political forces and establishing a one-party socialist state. In AD 1960, a new constitution was enacted, officially renaming the country the “Czechoslovak Socialist Republic” and further consolidating communist rule. In AD 1968, discontent with authoritarian governance led to the “Prague Spring,” during which Alexander Dubček attempted reforms, but the movement was ultimately crushed by a Warsaw Pact invasion. This ushered in the “Normalisation period,” which persisted until the “Velvet Revolution” of AD 1989 overthrew communist rule. In AD 1992, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved.

The Kremnica Mint, located in Slovakia, is one of the world’s oldest mints still in operation. Founded in AD 1328, it initially produced gold coins for the Kingdom of Hungary, such as the florin and ducat. It continued to function through the Austro-Hungarian and Czechoslovak periods. Following Slovak independence in AD 1993, it became responsible for minting Slovak koruna coins and, from AD 2009 onwards, the Slovak version of the euro.

物件編號: A1687

年代: 公元 1957 年

材質: 銀 (500‰)

尺寸: 29.9 x 29.9 x 2.0 mm

重量: 12.0 g

製造地: 克雷姆尼察鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚於公元1957年，由克雷姆尼察鑄幣廠鑄造，捷克斯洛伐克國家銀行發行的10克朗紀念銀幣，紀念捷克教育家約翰·阿摩司·康米紐斯(Iohannes Amos Comenius)。

銀幣的正面是戴冠人立的雙尾獅，自公元13世紀起便是波西米亞的傳統象徵，是捷克的主要構成部分。雙尾獅背負著三峰雙十字盾徽，代表斯洛伐克。雙十字的使用可以追溯到拜占庭帝國，而由於公元12世紀拜占庭帝國與匈牙利王國的聯姻，雙十字亦成為匈牙利王室的象徵。公元13世紀左右，匈牙利王室紋章的底部開始加上三座山丘，以象徵境內上匈牙利地區的塔特拉、馬特拉和法特拉三座山脈。公元19世紀，上匈牙利的紋章被斯洛伐克的民族主義者挪作斯洛伐克人的象徵，只是將匈牙利紋章的紅白綠三色，改為斯拉夫三色紅白藍。銀幣外圈環繞捷克文「REPUBLIKA ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ」，即「捷克斯洛伐克共和國」。下方「1957」，標示了發行年。

銀幣的背面為康米紐斯的右側半身像。左上「J·A·KOMENSKÝ」為康米紐斯的捷克文拼寫，右下「1592 1670」為其生卒年。左下「10 Kčs」，則標示了面額為10克朗。人像右側的「D」為捷克雕塑家弗朗季謝克·大衛(František David，生卒年公元1913至2002年)的署名。

約翰·阿摩司·康米紐斯是捷克重要的教育家、哲學家與宗教領袖，被譽為「近代教育學之父」。他出生於摩拉維亞（今捷克境內），為合一弟兄會成員，該團體受揚·胡斯影響，強調教育與信仰自由。在此背景下，康米紐斯倡導教育普及，無論性別或階層，這在當時的歐洲具有革命性意義。他提出「直觀教學法」，主張透過實物與圖像輔助學習，並在《世界圖解》中實踐，這本書被視為首部插圖兒童教科書。此外，他推動年齡分級的班級授課制度，對現代學校體系影響深遠。三十年戰爭期間，哈布斯堡王朝鎮壓合一弟兄會，迫使康米紐斯流亡波蘭、瑞典與荷蘭，持續推廣教育與和平理念。他的思想奠定捷克教育基礎，並成為捷克文化與宗教改革精神的象徵，至今影響深遠。

公元1948年，捷克斯洛伐克共產黨在蘇聯支持下發動二月政變(Februárový puč)，將所有非共產黨勢力排除，建立一黨專政的社會主義政權。公元1960年，捷克斯洛伐克通過新憲法，正式改名為捷克斯洛伐克社會主義共和國，強化共產黨專政體制。公元1968年，專制統治引發了「布拉格之春」，亞歷山大·杜布切克推動改革，但最終遭到蘇聯及華約軍隊入侵，捷克斯洛伐克進入「正常化時期」，直到公元1989年，「天鵝絨革命」推翻共產黨統治，並於公元1992年解體。

克雷姆尼察鑄幣廠位於斯洛伐克，是世界上最古老且仍在運作的鑄幣廠之一，成立於公元1328年，最初為匈牙利王國鑄造金幣，如福林與達克特。歷經奧匈帝國與捷克斯洛伐克時期，該鑄幣廠持續生產貨幣。公元1993年，斯洛伐克獨立後，負責斯洛伐克克朗的鑄造，公元2009年轉為生產斯洛伐克版歐元硬幣。