Slovakia Issue First Euro Silver Coin Commemorative - 150th Anniversary Of Birth Of Aurel Stodola

April 27, 2009: The National Bank of Slovakia has issued their first silver coin commemorative since the change over from their national Koruna currency to the euro on January 1, 2009. This inaugural silver euro release has been released to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of noted Physicist, Engineer and Inventor, Aurel Stodola.


Slovakia 2009 10€ 150th Anniv Birth Of Aurel Stodola Silver Proof

Aurel Boreslav Stodola (1859-1942) is regarded as the Father of the Steam Turbine and was apioneer in technical thermodynamics and its applications. His book on the subject, Die Dampfturbine, was published in 1903 and discussed not only the thermodynamic issues involved in turbine design but also aspects of fluid flow, vibration, stress analysis of plates, shells and rotating discs and stress concentrations at holes and fillets.

Stodola was also a noted mathematician and university professor, as well as a close friend to Albert Einstein, who had much admiration for his older colleague in Zurich. Amongst other things it was his creative activities, his desire for knowledge and his exceptionally clear thinking that Einstein admired him for. He once remarked "“If Stodola had been born during the Renaissance, he would have become a great painter or sculptor, because the greatest stimulus of his personality is imagination and need to create. Such personalities had for the past 100 years been more inclined towards technology. In it the creativity of our age is reected as well as the sense of beauty. Here he nds a richer opportunity, far greater than the layman could ever imagine." After Stodola's passing on Christmas Day, 1942, several letters from Einstein were found amongst his property.


Slovakia 2009 10€ 150th Anniv Birth Of Aurel Stodola Silver BU

The silver coins issued to commemorate the birth and life of this world renowned scientist are available in both brilliant uncirculated and proof quality. Both coins are struck from 18 grams of 90% silver on a 34mm flan. They feature a striking portrait of Aurel Stodola on the reverse, with the years of his life to the left and his name against a compass used for technical drawings to the right. The obverse shows an example of a turbo generator used during the times of Stodola. Above is the Slovakia National Emblem, while below is the denomination, country and year of issue. The proof quality coin has a total mintage of 13,300 and is supplied in a simple case with Certificate of Authenticity together with an informational pamphlet detailing Stodola's life and work. The brilliant uncirculated edition has a maximum strike of 10,100 and is encapsulated, supplied with the same informational pamphlet as the proof coin.

Both the Slovakia 2009 10€ 150th Anniv Birth Of Aurel Stodola Silver Proof and Slovakia 2009 10€ 150th Anniv Birth Of Aurel Stodola Silver BU coins are now available to order through the Euro Collections International website.