4298) Trencin, Slovakia: "European Capital of Culture - 2026": €2 commemorative coin in proof-like quality, celebrating Trenčín as the European Capital of Culture 2026: Date/Year of Stamps issue: 13.01.2026:
Trencin, Slovakia: - designated as the 2025 European Capital of Culture (ECOC):
A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension.
Being a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for a city to generate considerable cultural, social, and economic benefits, and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image, and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. Multiple cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously.
In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece's Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual City of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values.
The Commission of the European Union manages the title, and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture: more than 60 cities have been designated so far.
Selection process:
An international panel of cultural experts is in charge of assessing the proposals of cities for the title according to criteria specified by the European Union.
For two of the capitals each year, eligibility is open to cities in EU member states only.
From 2021 and every three years thereafter, a third capital will be chosen from cities in countries that are candidates or potential candidates for membership, or in countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA) - an example of the latter being Stavanger, Norway, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2008.
A 2004 study conducted for the Commission, known as the "Palmer report", demonstrated that the choice of European Capital of Culture served as a catalyst for cultural development and the transformation of the city.
Consequently, the beneficial socio-economic development and impact for the chosen city are now also considered in determining the chosen cities.
History:
The European Capital of Culture programme was initially called the European City of Culture and was conceived in 1983, by Melina Mercouri, then serving as minister of culture in Greece.
Mercouri believed that at the time, culture was not given the same attention as politics and economics and a project for promoting European cultures within the member states should be pursued.
The European City of Culture programme was launched in the summer of 1985 with Athens being the first title-holder.
In 1999, the European City of Culture programme was renamed to European Capital of Culture.
The following cities have been identified to be the European Cities of Culture in the next four years:
Designated European Capitals of Culture:
European Capitals of Culture have already been designated until the year 2028.
They are as follows:
2026: Oulu (Finland) and Trenčín (Slovakia)
2027: Liepāja (Latvia) and Évora (Portugal)
2028: České Budějovice, Broumov, Brno, Liberec (Czech Republic), Skopje (North Macedonia) and Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier, Rouen, Saint-Denis (France)
2029: Kiruna, Uppsala (Sweden), Lublin, Bielsko-Biała, Katowice, Kołobrzeg (Poland).
Two Cities have been designated as the European Capital of Culture in 2026:
Oulu, Finland Oulu 2026 (Theme: "Cultural Climate Change") Savonlinna, Tampere.
Trenčín, Slovakia Trenčín 2026 (Theme: "Cultivating Curiosity") Nitra, Žilina
Trencin, Slovakia:
About Mint Kremnica where the Celebratory Commemorative Coins were minted:
Mint Kremnica is one of the oldest mints in the world, established in 1328 by King Charles Robert of Anjou. It is located in Kremnica, Slovakia, and has been producing coins and medals for nearly 700 years.
The mint is known for its high-quality coins, particularly the Kremnica ducats, which were considered one of the hardest currencies in Central Europe.
Today, Mint Kremnica manufactures both circulation coins and commemorative coins for the National Bank of Slovakia, and it also produces various other products, including plaques and medals.
The Coin:
The €2 commemorative coin in proof-like quality, celebrating Trenčín as the European Capital of Culture 2026, will be available for purchase starting January 20, 2025.
It will be freely available while stocks last, with in-store pickup possible from January 23, 2025.
The Coin's Obverse features the word "TRENCÍN" in capital letters, the year "2026" above it, and stylised architectural elements of Trenčín Castle.
The Reverse of the €2 commemorative coin design features a stylised depiction of Trenčín Castle, accompanied by symbolic representations of the arts and culture: a painter’s palette with a brush, a film camera, and theatre masks – alluding to the coin’s feature, symbolising the diversity of the Slovakian cultire.
The name of the city ‘TRENČÍN’ is inscribed across the castle, and the year of issuance ‘2026’ appears in the upper right of the design
The coin's lower gold periphery reads "EURÓPSKE HLAVNÉ MESTO KULTÚRY," (meaning "European Capital of Culture") in English.
This coin is a tangible testament to Slovak cultural identity and reinforces Trenčín's international reputation.
In the upper left is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ between two dies. Beside it is a letter ‘K’ referring to the designer Klára Fojtů.
The inscription ‘EURÓPSKE HLAVNÉ MESTO KULTÚRY’ appears along the lower edge of the coin’s inner part, while the name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ runs along the upper edge.
The two inscriptions are separated by a dot on each side.
The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European flag.
The specifications of this Coin are:
Designer: Klára Markl Fojtů
Mintage: 1) 995,000 Euro coins in circulation quality
2) 5,000 euro coins in proof-like quality
Issuing date: 13 January 2026
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"A VERY informative and interesting post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
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