1523) Stefan Banic (1870-1941), Slovakia: 150th Birth Anniversary of the Slovak inventor of the Parachute: A 10 Euro Silver Coin in Proof (P) and Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) variants issued by the Mint of Slovakia, Kremnica: Year of Coin issue: 2020:

1523) Stefan Banic (1870-1941), Slovakia: 150th Birth Anniversary of the Slovak inventor of the Parachute: A 10 Euro Silver Coin in Proof (P) and Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) variants issued by the Mint of Slovakia, Kremnica: Year of Coin issue: 2020:

Stefan Banic (1870-1941) was a Slovak inventor, who patented an early parachute design. (The Slovaks are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation, native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak the Slovak language).

Born in Nestich, Austria-Hungary (now a part of Smolenice Slovakia), Banic immigrated to the United States and worked as a coal miner in Grenville, Pennsylvania.

In 1912, after witnessing a plane crash, Banic built a prototype of a parachute in 1913 and was granted a US patent.

The design which was radically different from others - was a kind of umbrella attached to the body - which he successfully tested in Washington D.C. by jumping first from a 15-storey building and then again from an airplane in 1914.

He donated his patent to the US Army.

After World War I, he returned to Czechoslovakia, where he helped explore the Driny Karst Cave in West Slovakia in the Little Carpathian Mountains close to his hometown of Smolenice.

His legacy:

In 1997, US skydiver Slavo Mulik (also born in Slovakia) created the Stefan Banic Parachute Foundation which offers Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal awards to individuals involved in events, promotions and celebrations of sky-diving in the memory of Banic.

In 2006, Slovak military paratroopers installed a memorial plaque at his birthplace in Smolenice.

Trnava-Boleraz airport, near Smolenice carries Banic's name.

The Commemorative Coin:

On the 150th Anniversary of Stefan Banic's birth (1870-2020), Slovakia has issued a Commemorative Silver Coin of 10 Euro in Proof (P) and Brilliant uncirculated (BU) variants depicting Banic on the Reverse and his invention on the Obverse.

On the Reverse of the Silver 10 Euro Coin are depicted a portrait of Stefan Banic.

The peripheral inscriptions are - "STEFAN BANIC" (on the centre right periphery) and "1870-1941" (on the centre left periphery. At right is mentioned the denomination of the coin "10 EURO".

On the Obverse of the Silver 10 Euro Coin is depicted Stefan Banic with his umbrella style parachute, together-with the Emblem of Slovakia to the left.

The peripheral inscriptions in the lower half of this face read - "SLOVENSKO. 2020".

The specifications of the Silver Coin are:

Coin Theme: Stefan Banic, Inventor of the parachute; Coin Denomination: 10 Euro; Metal Composition: .900 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 18.0 grams; Diameter/Size: 34.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P) and Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Designer: Pater Valach; Minted by: Kremnica Mint; On behalf of: Slovakia; Year: 2020.

Links:

1) Caves of Slovak Karst in Slovakia: A World Natural Heritage UNESCO Site: A Gold Coin of 100 Euros issued under the "World Natural Heritage" Series by the National Bank odf Slovakia, minted by the Kremnica Mint on 15.11.2017

2) Slovak National Theatre, Slovakia: Centenary Celebrations (1920-2020): A 10 Euro Silver Coin issued by the National Bank of Slovenia, minted by the Kremnica Mint: Year of issue: 2020

3) Stefan Banic (1870-1941), Slovakia: 150th Birth Anniversary of the slovak inventor of the Parachute: A 10 Euro Silver Coin in Proof (P) and Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) variants issued by the Kremnica Mint on behalf of Slovakia: Year of Coin issue: 2020