How to Identify the 50 Korun
A collector's guide to confirming the 1944 Slovak 50 korun by its Tiso profile, double-cross shield, Slovak motto, date, and crown-sized silver format.
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Read the Portrait and Legend
Start with the obverse. This type shows a bare-headed modern male profile, the president Jozef Tiso, surrounded by a Slovak legend. Coins of this state carry the motto VERNI SEBE, SVORNE NAPRED, which on worn or blurry examples is easy to misread letter by letter. A named twentieth-century profile paired with Slovak-language wording, rather than Latin royal titles, points to this republican wartime issue.
Confirm the Reverse Device
The reverse must show a shield bearing a double cross on a base, the classic Slovak heraldic emblem, together with the value in korun and the year. If the reverse shows an eagle, a different national arms, or lacks the double-cross shield, you are looking at another coin. The date should read 1944 and the denomination should state 50 korun.
Check Size, Weight, and Metal
This is a silver crown-sized coin, on the order of 34 mm across and roughly 15 grams. It should feel dense and substantial and show the bright tone or gray patina of struck silver. A thin, lightweight, or magnetic piece of this design is a warning sign, since the genuine coin is silver and non-magnetic.
Rule Out Look-Alikes
The Slovak State issued several denominations in the same period; lower values were struck in base metal and are lighter, while other silver denominations share the style but differ in size and stated value, so always read the number of korun. The double-cross shield also appears on modern Slovak and older Czechoslovak coins, so use the Tiso portrait, the 1944 date, and the 50 korun value together to pin down this exact type rather than any single feature alone.
Authentication Cautions
Because it is a historically charged silver type, this coin attracts reproductions and altered pieces. Weigh and measure the coin and compare the portrait and shield to trusted reference images, watching for soft casting detail, wrong weight, or edge seams. Cleaning is common and reduces value, so favor coins with original surfaces, and for higher-value examples consider third-party authentication.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know the portrait is Tiso and not a monarch?
Look for a bare-headed modern profile with a Slovak-language legend and no royal crown or Latin king's titles. The Slovak State was a republic, so its coins name and depict its president rather than a monarch.
What size and weight should it be?
Expect a silver crown of roughly 34 mm diameter and about 15 grams. It should feel heavy and dense; a thin or lightweight coin of this design is suspect.
How do I tell it from other coins with a double cross?
The double-cross shield also appears on Czechoslovak and later Slovak coins. Confirm the Tiso obverse, the 1944 date, and the 50 korun value together to identify this specific wartime issue.
Is it worth authenticating?
For anything beyond a well-worn example, yes. As a scarce silver type it is reproduced, so verifying weight, diameter, and design details, or using third-party certification, guards against fakes and altered coins.