Silver Coin Climbing of the First Eight Thousanders by Slovak Mountaineers - 50th Anniversary 2021 Proof

Climbing of the first eight-thousanders mountain (Nanga Parbat) by Slovak climbers - 50th anniversary

Exclusive silver coin issued in Slovakia by the Kremnica Mint in 2021 in top quality proof with a weight of 18 g is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the climbing of the first eight-thousand-foot mountain by Slovak mountaineers.

The reverse of the coin features a view of the summit of Nanga Parbat with the figure of a climbing mountaineer in the foreground. The name of the mountain "NANGA PARBAT" is in two lines in the upper part of the coin field, above it is the indication of its height "8125 m" and below it the year of its ascent by Slovak climbers "1971". In the lower right part of the coin field are the stylised initials of the author of the design, Maria Poldaufová, "MP" and the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint, state enterprise, which consists of the abbreviation "MK" placed between two mints.

On the obverse of the euro coin are the mountaineers Ivan Fiala and Michal Orolín holding a mountaineering axe with the Czechoslovak flag on the summit of Nanga Parbat in 1971. Ivan Fiala is holding the carabiner they left at the top of the mountain. At the bottom of the coin field is the name of the country "SLOVAKIA". Underneath, in two lines, is the denomination of the collector euro coin "10 EURO", the year "2021" and the state emblem of the Slovak Republic.

The coin is supplied in a limited edition of only 6,500 pieces for the whole world!

There are many mountains and mountain ranges on the globe, but only 14 peaks with a height exceeding 8,000 metres. A century ago, the Himalayas and the Karakoram Mountains were the scene of a "race" between nations to be the first to reach the top of the 8,000-foot mountains. In 1950, French climbers ascended the first - Annapurna (8,091 m) and in 1964, Chinese climbers reached the summit of the last unclimbed 8,000-meter peak - Shisha Pangma (8,013 m). The political division of the world at that time meant that Czech and Slovak climbers could not take part in this match. After a short political thaw, in 1969 I. Gálfy managed to organize the Tatra Himalaya Expedition with the aim to climb Nanga Parbat (8.125 m). However, the expedition did not reach the summit. Two years later, the indefatigable Gálfy assembled a second expedition of 16 climbers, mostly from Slovakia. Again following the route from the Rakiot valley, they tirelessly built the ascent route from the beginning of May, and on 11 July 1971, four climbers set off from the last camp at 7,600 m. Only two of them - Ivan Fiala and Michal Orolín - reached the main summit of Nanga Parbat. This success caused a wave of enthusiasm in the Czechoslovak, but especially Czech public. The echoes of the success continued for several more years.