200 Sk Slovakia 2004 - Wolfgang Kempelen - Standard quality

Commemorative silver coin of the Slovak Republic 2004, with a nominal value of 200 Sk, issued on the 200th anniversary of the death of Wolfgang Kempelen

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Common quality

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200SK04WKBK

Quality:	Common quality

Commemorative silver coin of the Slovak Republic 2004, with a nominal value of 200 Sk, issued on the 200th anniversary of the death of Wolfgang Kempelen
Material: 750Ag, 250Cu
Diameter: 34 mm
Thickness: 2.45 mm
Weight: 20 g
Designer: Miroslav Ronai
Edge: inscription: "INVENTOR – TECHNICIAN – DESIGNER"
Quality:
standard: mintage 8,000 pcs
proof: mintage 3,200 pcs
issue date: 15.03.2004

Specification
Wolfgang Kempelen (23. 1. 1734 – 24. 3. 1804) – inventor, designer, technician, and pioneer in the field of phonetics – was among the leading scholars of his time. He held several significant official positions in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, becoming a secretary and later a counselor of the Royal Hungarian Chamber in Bratislava. He utilized his extraordinary scientific and technical abilities in creating complex machines and devices. In the park of the imperial Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, he constructed a water fountain, created a system for pumping water for Bratislava Castle, built irrigation devices on the Žitný Island, modernized the technical equipment of salt mines, and designed a typewriter for the blind. He became famous mainly for the chess automaton from 1770 and later also for the speaking automaton, which captivated the general public and became world-renowned attractions. He also published a pioneering scientific work on the mechanism of human speech, dealing with the origin of speech, anatomy, and physiology of the vocal organs.

Obverse:
On the obverse of the coin, in the center of the coin field, is Kempelen's most famous invention – the chess automaton, complemented by illustrations from his scientific works. At the right edge of the coin is the state emblem, and at the left, the nominal value of the coin. At the bottom edge of the coin, in two lines, is the name of the state SLOVAK REPUBLIC and below it the year of minting 2004.

Reverse:
On the reverse of the coin is depicted a portrait of Wolfgang Kempelen, below which is the panorama of Bratislava – the city where Kempelen was born and with which his life and work are closely associated. To the right of the portrait are the dates of his birth and death, 1734 and 1804, and at the left edge of the coin is the name and surname WOLFGANG KEMPELEN. Below the panorama of Bratislava are the initials of the name and surname of the coin's design author Miroslav Ronai MR and the mark of the Kremnica Mint MK.