The majestic king of the plains—the eastern imperial eagle—is the rarest species of eagle found in Slovakia. Although the name ‘imperial’ suggests exceptional size, it is not the largest eagle in the country. It is rather the eagle’s origin that is unique, as it started spreading here from the southern European steppe in the mid-20th century. It is distinguished from other eagles mainly by two prominent white spots on its wings. The eagles usually build their nests in tall trees, and the female lays one to three eggs. The eaglets hatch after 43 to 45 days and emerge from the nest 70 to 75 days after hatching. Initially, only the male provides food for the chicks, but as they grow larger, the female also contributes. The eagle preys mainly on small rodents, young hares, pheasants, partridges, and members of the crow family. In Slovakia, where there are only around 100 nesting pairs, the eastern imperial eagle is a protected species, and the country is therefore important in terms of efforts to conserve the species in Europe.

Obverse:
The obverse depicts, to the left, an eastern imperial eagle perched on a branch and, to the right, an eagle in flight with wings outstretched. The Slovak coat of arms appears in the upper right of the design, directly below the year of issuance ‘2025’. Inscribed along the upper edge is the name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’. The coin’s denomination and currency, ‘5 EURO’, are positioned in the lower right, below the flying eagle. To the left of the perched eagle is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ between two dies.

Reverse:
The reverse features the head of an eastern imperial eagle, occupying most of the design field. In the lower part, overlying the eagle’s neck, is a nest containing two eaglets and an egg. The scientific and Slovak names of the eastern imperial eagle, ‘AQUILA HELIACA’ and ‘OROL KRÁĽOVSKÝ’, are inscribed along the edge around the eagle’s head. The stylised initials ‘TL’ of the designer, Tomáš Lamač, appear next to the lower right edge.

Coin details