2022 - Niue 1 NZD Silver Coin Armored Vehicles - T-34/76 - Proof

Armored vehicles

The second silver coin of the Czech Mint from the series Armoured vehicles features the Soviet tank T-34/76, which served during World War II.

When the Third Reich attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941, its troops clashed with the T-34/76 tanks, whose existence was kept secret. The bewildered Nazi command assumed that the enemy had only light tanks or clumsy multi-towered monsters at their disposal, but instead of that the German panzers encountered fast, easy to handle, and well armoured machines whose sloping armor provided twice the protection of the thickness of the steel plates used. As more and more powerful German machines appeared on the battlefield, the Soviets continually upgraded their medium tanks - especially in the turret area, which was very small. The most significant change in design came in 1943, when the T-34/85 model was introduced. This tank helped to restore the balance of power on the eastern front. The T-34/76 and T-34/85 models were produced parallely to each other until 1944, when production of the original model ceased at 35,099 units. The T-34 tank in all its forms was not perfect, but it was quite possibly the best armoured tank of the Second World War.

The reverse side of the commemorative coin, which is the work of medal maker Luboš Charvát, presents two depictions of the Soviet tank - the three-quarter view is accompanied by a side silhouette. An inscription of the T-34/76 and a detail of the tank belt complete the composition. The belts 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 attributes - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2022.

The coin is stored 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 which you can also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.