Armored vehicles

The sixth silver coin of the Czech Mint from the series Armored Vehicles commemorates the Soviet KV-1 tank that served during World War II.

The Nazis got an unpleasant surprise in the form of a heavy tank with the KV-1 designation after the Third Reich attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. In the early months of the war, this bulletproof colossus had no rival on the battlefield. In some cases, a Soviet armoured vehicle destroyed several enemy tanks, was hit many times, and yet remained combat capable. To destroy it, it was necessary to call in dive bombers or use anti-aircraft guns. In the hands of experienced tankers, the KV-1 tank could block the movement of entire enemy formations, but the training of Soviet crews was inadequate, which neutralized its advantages. Moreover, as ever more powerful weapons entered the battlefield, the Soviet giants quickly lost their invulnerability. Their armor was therefore gradually strengthened, but without a corresponding increase in engine power, which worsened their already poor handling characteristics. The largest percentage of losses was due to the mechanical unreliability of the overloaded tank - the gearbox in particular was malfunctioning. This experience greatly influenced the future design of Soviet machines, which became smaller and lighter than their Western counterparts.

The reverse side of the commemorative coin, which is the work of medal maker Petra Patky, DiS., presents two depictions of the Soviet tank - the three-quarter view is supplemented with a side silhouette. The composition is supplemented with an inscription of KV-1 and a detail of the tank belt. The stripes can also be found on the obverse side of the coin, which is common to the entire tank series. As the licence to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is granted by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary elements - the national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2023.

The coin is set in a spectacular packaging in the form of a catalogue card full of period photographs, interesting facts and tactical data. Individual cards can be stored in a collector's binder that you can also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.