Gold Coin 5 NZD Siege of Tobruk 2016 Proof

RAZITKO_POSTOVNE_ZDARMA_NENI

War year 1941

The city of Tobruk lies in far North Africa. Yet, even after 75 long years, the brave Czechoslovak defenders who protected it from the Nazi aggressors are still remembered there. Not only them, but all the heroes who left their mark on the scorching sands, belong to the third gold coin of the Czech Mint from the collector's miniseries War Year 1941.

Axis troops composed of Germans and Italians surrounded Tobruk in April 1941 and the Libyan city was left alone in enemy territory more than 100 kilometres behind the front. The cut-off British, Australians and Poles defending the important port were joined by the 11th Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion with over six hundred men under the command of Colonel Karel Klapalek. Members of Rommel's Afrikakorps derisively called their buried enemies rats, but the Allied soldiers proudly accepted the derogatory term as their own. Constant patrolling in the harsh desert conditions, firefights with the enemy, air raids and shelling took their toll on the lives and mental state of the defenders. Action was needed, and in November, Operation Crusader was launched. A coordinated attack from inside and outside the blockade caught the Nazis by surprise and after a series of battles they were forced to withdraw. When they attempted a counter-offensive the following year, our heroes again stood in their way.

The gold coin comes from the workshop of Asamat Baltaev, DiS., who created the artwork for the entire miniseries. The reverse side of the Smart Coin bears a war scene - Allied gunners repelling attacking German tanks accompanied by dive-bombers. The background features Tobruk with architecture typical of North Africa and a description in Arabic ???? ???? - Siege of Tobruk. Smart coins are issued under license from the issuer, which is the Commonwealth island of Niue. The obverse side therefore bears the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the year of issue 2016 and the face value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD).

In addition to the gold coin, the "Desert Rats" are commemorated by a collector's case that holds the entire wartime miniseries. You can find it in the offer of the Czech Mint.