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Three Marys Cross of Great Moravia 10 Korún Slovak Republic Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Crafts (Virgin Mary) (Easter)

Three Marys Cross of Great Moravia 10 Korún Slovak Republic Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Crafts (Virgin Mary) (Easter)

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Three Marys Cross of Great Moravia 10 Korún Slovak Republic Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making (Virgin Mary) (Double Cross)

Coin Reverse: Bronze reliquary cross with engraved figures of the three Marys, symbolizing the beginning of Christianity on the Slovak soil. John 19:25: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."
The original (depicted) Great Moravian "encolpion" bronze cross from the 10th century was excavated in the village of Velka Maca near Nitra, Slovakia. (It was displayed for several years at the exhibition 'Great Moravia and the Beginnings of Christianity' in Prague, Czech Republic.)

Lettering: 10 Sk
Translation: 10 Slovak Koruna

Coin Obverse: Slovak shield, the date below, and the mintmark and designer's initials at the bottom
Lettering: SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA
Translation: Slovak Republic

Features
Issuer Slovakia
Period Republic (1993-date)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 1993-2008
Value 10 Korún (10 SKK)
Currency Koruna (1993-2008)
Composition Copper-aluminium-nickel
Weight 6.6 g
Diameter 26.5 mm
Thickness 1.7 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized 17 January 2009
Number N# 2484
References KM# 11, Schön# 18

Source: https://www.slovakheritage.org/Money/coins.htm --
"I have contacted the director of the National Bank of Slovakia, Ing. Jozef Kreutz in Banska Bystrica and promptly received information on the new coins and currency of the Slovak republic."...
"Bronze reliquary cross with engraved figures of the three Marys, symbolizing the beginning of Christianity on the Slovak soil, dates back to the 10th century, found in Velka Maca, in Galanta district, Slovakia."

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Wikipedia:
The three Marys at the crucifixion
The presence of a group of female disciples of Jesus at the crucifixion of Jesus is found in all four Gospels of the New Testament. Differences in the parallel accounts have led to different interpretations of how many and which women were present. In some traditions, as exemplified in the Irish song Caoineadh na dTrí Muire, the Three Marys are the three whom the Gospel of John mentions as present at the crucifixion of Jesus:
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary Magdalene
Mary of Clopas

[John 19:25: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene."]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Marys

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Our Elemintal speculation:
The iconic focus on Mary on the 10th century artifact depicted on this coin, an artifact created at the very time of the Christianization of Great Moravia, suggests influence from the prior, Pagan Slavonic religion, which venerated Mother Goddesses.

For example, here is a Wikipedia note regarding a different Slavonic Russian icon, "The Fiery Chariot of the Word", which combined Pagan and Christian themes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_paganism
19th-century Russian icon of the Theotokos as Ognyena Maria ("Fiery Mary"), fire goddess sister of Perun, and a glaring example of Slavic religious themes in Christianised fashion. Belief in a mother goddess as receptacle of life, Mat Syra Zemlya ("Damp Mother Earth"), was preserved in Russian folk religion up to the 20th century, often disguised as the Virgin Mary of Christianity. The fiery "six-petaled roses" that surround the Ognyena are one of the variants of the whirling symbol of the supreme God (Rod).

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Wikipedia:
The coat of arms of the Slovak Republic consists of a red (gules) shield, in early Gothic style, charged with a silver (argent) double cross standing on the middle peak of a dark blue mountain consisting of three peaks. Extremities of the cross are amplified, and its ends are concaved. The double cross is a symbol of its Christian faith and the hills represent three symbolic mountain ranges: Tatra, Fatra (made up of the Veľká Fatra and Malá Fatra ranges), and Matra (in northern Hungary).

Double cross
One of the modern interpretations of the double cross is that it represents Slovakia as an heir and guardian of Christian tradition, brought to the region by St. Cyril and St. Methodius, two missionaries from the Byzantine Empire.

The two-barred cross in the Slovak coat of arms originated in the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire in the 9th century. Unlike the Christian cross, the symbolism and meaning of the double cross is not well understood. One interpretation is that the first horizontal line symbolized the secular power and the other horizontal line the ecclesiastic power of Byzantine emperors. Another that the first cross represents the death and the second cross the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Byzantine Empire of the 9th century, the double cross was a political symbol used by Byzantine clerks and missionaries.

The double cross arrived in the territory of current-day Slovakia probably no later than during the 9th century mission of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Though used frequently in Great Moravia, it was not a state symbol at that time, because there were no state symbols in the modern sense in Europe at that time yet. By means of Zwentibold (the ruler of Lorraine, son of the German emperor Arnulf of Carinthia and godchild of the Great Moravian king Svatopluk I), this symbol got to Lorraine and is called the cross of Lorraine there.

The double cross symbol appeared again in rudimentary features on the first coins that Stephen I, the first king of the Kingdom of Hungary (part of which now forms the territory of present-day Slovakia), had minted at an unknown place. Before he became king in 1000, he was the Grand Prince of the Principality of Hungary and was living there with his Bavarian wife Gisella. The frequent opinion that the double cross was a cross that the Pope granted to Stephen I. around 1000 is still disputed. The opinion arose only in the 15th century based on a legend from the 12th century, which in addition only says that Stephen received an apostolic cross (i.e. a normal, not a double cross).

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Customer Reviews

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K
Kiarra H
A really lovely unique coin

A really lovely unique coin

K
Kiarra H
Exactly what was shown, great seller commu...

Exactly what was shown, great seller communication

F
Fiona
I bought 14 coins from this shop, so will...

I bought 14 coins from this shop, so will not write a unique review for each coin, but I will say that everything came in fantastic shape and is exactly as described. Thank you for offering such a great variety of authentic and great quality coins.

S
Shannon Smith
Very nice! I'm excited to add this coin to...

Very nice! I'm excited to add this coin to my collection!

E
Esther L
it is great coin for my 24k gold gold coin...

it is great coin for my 24k gold gold coin.