Fancy going icefall climbing or cross-country skiing Here's what to do during the weekend of January 24-26 This Saturday, the Martinky ski resort near the town of Martin, northern Slovakia, will hold the Zimný Karneval (winter carnival) event, inviting skiers to don fun masks and go skiing. Find out more here and 'Verejné Korčuľovanie' January 24-25: Wine cellar day in Svätý Jur January 24-26: The Nitradog Carnival Cup dog exhibition in Nitra January 25: Open wine cellar day in Banská Bystrica January 26: An ice carnival in Trebišov January 28, 30, 31: The best movies and series of 2024 night with movie critic Peter Konečný in Trenčín, Martin, Banská Štiavnica January 30 - February 2: Japanese film festival in Bratislava January 31: Night sky observation in Trebišov February 8: The Krňačky Turecká sleigh racing in the village of Turecká February 8: ModelCon 2025 plastic model and miniature show in Trnava February 8: The best movies and series of 2024 night with movie critic Peter Konečný in Kremnica February 13-14: Japanese film festival in Košice WHAT TO DO FOR FREE: Discover modern Japanese cinema or enjoy the beauty of music with inspiring conversations WHAT TO LEARN: Dobro guitar inventor's Slovak roots unknown for many decades WHAT TO TRY: In Slovak Paradise, winter swimmers find their bliss WHAT TO SEE: Architect Dedeček called himself 'a carpenter in the age of concrete'. The premises of the Slovak National Gallery are part of a new exhibition itself Collectors of world bullion coins will soon have another series to pursue The Kremnica Mint in Slovakia announced March 23 that it was coordinating the issue of a series of .999 fine silver and .999 fine gold bullion coins for the Republic of Congo The series will show tribal masks of the world and will include a native mask from Alaska The series is scheduled to continue into 2016 with each design offered in three versions: a 1-ounce colorful silver 20-franc CFA coin; a tenth-ounce gold 50-franc CFA coin; and a 1-ounce 100-franc CFA coin While the Kremnica Mint classifies these coins as bullion they will be struck to extremely low mintage limits The silver coins are limited to 800 pieces per design with the small gold limited to a mintage of 500 pieces per design The 1-ounce gold coin also has a limit of 800 pieces per design Anyone may reserve the coins through the Mint’s website according to Roman Pulis in the Kremnica Mint’s marketing department.  “Currently we are the key distributor of them,” he said “Since the mintage is limited (and it’s a quite low mintage) we have not yet made official treaties with external dealers.” The reverse of each coin depicts the related mask motif.  The obverse carries the face value and the national emblem of the Republic of the Congo The price of the coins will be based on the official prices through the London Bullion Market Association the potential buyers will get a unique investing opportunity into gold and silver,” the mint said The estimated cost of a 1-ounce gold coin at press time was €1,205 (about $1,315 U.S.) The Kremnica Mint will also create a tiered marked offering to buy back the investment coins if customers decide to sell them Conditions for the repurchase program have not yet been announced The silver coins weigh 31.1 grams and measure 40 millimeters in diameter The small gold coins weigh 3.11 grams and measure 18 millimeters in diameter The 1-ounce gold coins measure 34 millimeters.  Each coin will be placed in a plastic capsule.  Collectors may reserve a wooden case for each denomination or a case for all 15 coins (though the mint cautions that the plan to issue the cases after the second coin is released in August The first coin in the series depicts a native Slovakian mask of the mythological animal Turon depicted as an ox’s head on a stick with sleigh bells A mask from the Teke tribe in Congo appears on the second issue in the series Masks are perhaps the most common form of art from Africa Ritual masks from the Congo region have the shape of the Moon Certain men in the Teke tribe wear the mask for weddings funerals or the Kidumu ceremony for young men becoming adults.  Teke masks have a traditional triangular nose and are decorated with symbols and stripes The oldest masks from Alaska can be traced to the Yupik peoples These masks often combine human and animal elements The Yupik wear the masks for celebrations and dances The mask on the coin for Mexico depicts the Pre-Columbian Aztec god Tezcatlipoca including religious events and festivals.  The final mask coin in the series depicts a mask of the Tharu tribe of Nepal Traditional Nepalese masks are used for healing and shamanism or ceremonials and rituals devoted to ancestors or gods and deities.  Collectors could begin reserving the coins on March 23 To learn more about the program or to reserve the coins, visit a dedicated page on the Kremnica Mint’s website Q. David Bowers: Kennedy half dollar came along amid circulating coin shortage in U.S. United States Mint unveils 2015 First Spouse gold coin designs Low-mintage 'King of Morgan dollars' example sells for nearly $40,000 $60,000 gold coin is lost at ANA National Money Show, found and returned within hours Casino owner altered surfaces of coins to stem exodus as souvenirs Please sign in or join to share your thoughts on this story (TSXV: ZLTO) (the “Company” or “BULGOLD”) is pleased to announce that it has sourced historic exploration data relating to the Lutila Gold Project (the “Property”) located in Slovakia This information has now been validated and incorporated into the Company’s database The Lutila exploration licence covers an area of 32.2km² and is prospective for quartz-adularia epithermal gold mineralisation Supporting maps can be found at the end of this press release: “To see the results of a modern soil sampling survey strongly correlating with the well-mapped geology over +7km highlights the potential size of the Lutila quartz-adularia epithermal system To also have anomalous gold grades from surface rock chips and historic drilling within the North East Block is a strong endorsement of BULGOLD’s geological model Lutila is shaping up as what we believe to be a strong early-stage gold project.” The reader is encouraged to view the Company’s earlier press release “BULGOLD Inc - Acquires the Lutila Gold Project in Slovakia for 100 EUR” dated September 27, 2023, for additional background on the Lutila Gold Project: available at (www.BULGOLD.com)   Historic Soil Sampling1During the early 2000’s the Lutila exploration area was covered by an extensive soil sampling grid on a nominal east-west Some 3,560 soil samples were collected and subsequently assayed for gold (Au) Following the Company’s review of the historic soil data it became clear that both arsenic and antimony provide compelling evidence for an extensive paleo-geothermal system within the Lutila exploration area Mercury and thallium soil data provide some support for selective areas within the exploration area tellurium and bismuth are of a very low overall tenor which is to be expected given the level of exposure that the current land surface represents i.e the Sinter Field reflects the Miocene paleosurface while the North East Block probably represents a surface approximately 50-100m below the same Miocene paleosurface (as determined from the local topographic high arsenic and antimony geochemical levels are elevated within the upper levels of quartz-adularia with extensive As and Sb anomalism defined over approximately 7km within the rhyolite flow dome complexes and their pyroclastic products where erosion has removed the sinters and exposed silicified rhyolites ± chalcedonic veins the As and Sb soil geochemistry is broad and pervasive and correlates very well with mapped geology Within the Sinter Field the As and Sb geochemistry drapes the western and eastern flanks of the prominent 6km long ridgeline (“Rhyolite Ridge”) strongly suggesting that deeply derived alkali chloride waters have permeated through the rhyolite dome complexes and their pyroclastic products as evidenced by the large volume of sinter formation at various topographic levels The historic soil sampling also suggests that there is a thin post-mineral rhyolite flow dome complex located on the central portion of the ridgeline where soil geochemistry provides a very muted response (see Figures 1 & 2)   Historic Rock Sampling1Historic rock chip sampling was confined to the North East Block only there have reportedly been no rock chip samples taken from within the Sinter Field A total of 80 rock chip samples were taken within the North East Block (including 4 samples taken by the Company as part of its due diligence) and assayed for gold and silver together with multi-element data for various elements The Company’s review of this data strongly indicates that there is a topographic control on the gold data in that all rock samples located above the 600mRL return an average gold grade of <0.001g/t Au (n = 45) while all rock samples below the 600mRL return an average gold grade of 0.68g/t Au (n = 35) Base metal content of the rock samples for copper lead and zinc are very low and average <2ppm <13ppm and <19ppm respectively (see Table 1 and Figure 3) North East Block: All Rock Chip Samples >0.1g/t Au   Historic Exploration Drilling1Historic exploration diamond drilling was confined to the North East Block only the Sinter Field has not been drill tested for gold mineralisation; it has been extensively drill tested for bentonite (average hole depth 20m) The Company has divided the historic exploration drilling into two separate phases: Historic Drill Holes: 10 diamond drill holes were completed into the eastern flank of the North East Block for a total of 1,984.3m during the 1990’s The majority of these drill holes were drilled horizontally into the side of the hill above the village of Bartošova Lehôtka No assay data is available for these drill holes; however Of particular interest was drill hole VKS-4 which was one of the few angle holes drilled which intercepted minor rhyolite from 0-10m after which andesite volcanic rocks were intersected to end of hole and therefore verifying that andesite volcanic rocks are present beneath the rhyolite flow dome complexes in a similar stratigraphic setting to the nearby Kremnica gold mine (see Table 2 & Figure 3) Modern Drill Holes: 21 diamond drill holes for a total of 4,791.1m were completed within the Čertov vrch target area The drilling programme was completed by the Tournigan Gold Corporation (a delisted TSXV company) during the period 2004-2006 (see Table 3 & Figure 3): Assay data is unavailable for the majority of drill holes and some geology information is available; however it is believed that drilling in the Čertov vrch and Čertov vrch East prospect areas resulted in no gold mineralisation being recorded intersect andesite volcanic rocks approximately 150m beneath the topographic high at 748mRL The Kopernica Structure drilling was apparently a combined project sterilisation/exploration programme and minor anomalous gold intervals were recorded within rhyolite pyroclastic rocks The Bartošova Lehôtka prospect area also recorded some gold anomalous intervals within the rhyolite flow dome complex and their pyroclastic products and represent the drill holes collared at some of the lowest elevations to date within the Lutila exploration area Gold anomalous intervals from the Bartošova Lehôtka and Kopernica Structure prospect areas are outlined below: Figure 4: Strongly silicified rhyolite tuff with dark chalcedony and stibnite stockwork infill plus limonite (orange) after sulfides (KG-BL-1: 104.1-105.5m; 2.98g/t Au) 0.1g/t Au cut-off; the Company considers this to represent a ‘geological cut-off’ which shows that gold is present in rhyolite volcanic rocks at anomalous values   DiscussionHistoric soil sampling has outlined a significant paleo-geothermal system as defined by arsenic and antimony geochemistry has shown that surface gold grades increase in value towards lower elevations which is in line with the Company’s current geological model which is also restricted to the North East Block has shown that there are anomalous gold grades within the rhyolite flow dome complexes and their pyroclastic products on either flank of the Čertov vrch target area which is centred on the Čertov vrch peak (748mRL) which is hosted in andesite volcanic rocks rhyolite dykes are intimately associated with and often well mineralised where they are cross-cut thus indicating that extrusive rhyolite volcanism was likely a pre-(syn?) mineral event The historic exploration drilling has indicated that andesite volcanic rocks are present below the exposed rhyolite flow dome complexes and their associated pyroclastic products within the area of the North East Block and it is likely that andesite volcanic rocks are present beneath the rhyolite stratigraphy currently exposed within the Sinter Field The Company believes that the Lutila Gold Project reflects a continuation of the same volcanic depression (which hosts the Kremnica gold mine) creating a preserved graben of rhyolite flow domes complexes and their pyroclastic products together with a very large sinter field This review of the historic exploration data from primarily within the North East Block taken together with the extensive Sinter Field which reflects the position of the Miocene paleosurface and is an indication of boiling at depth within an epithermal system which would tend to strongly support the Company’s conceptual exploration model Figure 5: The BULGOLD conceptual exploration model for the Lutila Gold Project BULGOLD is a gold exploration company focused on the exploration and development of mineral exploration projects in Central and Eastern Europe The Company controls 100% of three quality quartz-adularia epithermal gold projects located in the Slovakian and Bulgarian portions of the Western Tethyan Belt: the Lutila Gold Project the Kostilkovo Gold Project and the Kutel Gold Project Management of the Company believes that its assets show potential for high-grade low-sulfidation epithermal gold mineralisation The historical sampling and drilling data and information disclosed in this press release is related to historical exploration results The reader is cautioned that the historical sampling and drilling data and information are based on prior data and reports previously prepared by third parties without the involvement of the Company Information has been sourced from the Slovak Geological Survey in reports 83971 (December 1997) and 92416 (February 2013) BULGOLD has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical sampling and drilling data and information nor has it independently analysed the results of the historical sampling and drilling exploration work in order to verify the results as current and that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify the results and that they may not form a reliable guide to future results No independent quality assurance/quality control protocols are known for these historic samples and drill holes and therefore the analytical results BULGOLD considers the historical sample and drill data and information to be relevant as BULGOLD is using this data and information in conjunction with the sampling conducted by BULGOLD as a guide to plan its exploration program for the Lutila Gold Project BULGOLD’s current exploration work includes verification of the historical data and information through further exploration With respect to sample information in this new release that was prepared by the Company and is not historic sampling and drilling information are inserted into each batch of samples and locations for crushed duplicates and pulp replicates are specified the submitted rock samples are dried at 105°C for a minimum of 12 hours and then jaw crushed to about 80% passing 4mm Sample preparation duplicates are created by riffle splitting crushed samples on a 1 in 20 basis Larger samples are riffle split prior to pulverizing whereas smaller samples are pulverized entirely Pulverizing specifications are 90% passing 75 microns Gold analyses are done using a conventional 50-gram fire assay and AAS finish The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Mr Sean Hasson a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and President and Chief Executive Officer to the Company Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward‐looking statements and forward‐looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively These statements relate to future events or future performance and include statements relating to the Lutila Gold Project and the status of the Lutila Gold Project as a strong early-stage gold project in Europe the reason for the Kremnica gold mine being exploited over a long period of time the Lutila Gold Project reflecting a continuation of the same Kremnica volcanics the Company’s conceptual exploration model for the Lutila Gold Project the potential of the Lutila Gold Project to benefit the Company’s stakeholders the mineralised inventory within the Kremnica deposit through time the exploration plans of the Company and the timing thereof All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements or information The forward‐looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable undue reliance should not be placed on the forward‐looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes Since forward‐looking statements and information address future events and conditions by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including the inherent uncertainty of mineral exploration; risks related to title to mineral properties; and credit interest rates or tax rates and general market and economic conditions readers should not place undue reliance on the forward‐looking statements and information contained in this press release Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive The forward‐looking statements and information contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward‐looking statements or information unless so required by applicable securities laws The forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement The Lutila Exploration Licence – Geology & Arsenic (As) Soil Geochemistry The Lutila Exploration Licence – Geology & Antimony (Sb) Soil Geochemistry The Lutila Exploration Licence (North East Block) – Geology Historic Rock & Historic Exploration Drilling (TSXV: ZLTO) (the “Company” or “BULGOLD”) is pleased to announce that it has exercised its option to acquire 100% of the Lutila Gold Project (the “property” or “exploration licence”) in Slovakia for the price of €100 The Lutila exploration licence covers an area of 32.2km² hosts a significant amount of target areas is prospective for epithermal gold mineralisation and has been granted for an initial 4-year period The Lutila Exploration Licence relative to the Kremnica Mining Licence – Geology & Tenure Lutila Exploration Licence – Geology & Tenure The Lutila Exploration Licence – Topography “The acquisition of the Lutila Gold Project is a great asset fit and enhances the Company’s country risk profile within the EU It is a rare event to be able to acquire good exploration ground immediately adjacent to a gold deposit that has been mined for over 1,000 years and which supported the foundation of the Kremnica mint in 1328 The BULGOLD team has many years of experience exploring for quartz-adularia vein systems and we look forward to seeking to realize the potential of the property to the benefit of all stakeholders.” BULGOLD entered into a cooperation agreement and a transfer of exploration area agreement with Green View s.r.o pursuant to which the Company had an option to acquire 100% interest in a particular area of land located in the Slovak Republic to prospect for gold and silver exploration in exchange for €100 (EUR) the Company was informed by Green View s.r.o 14675/2023) had been granted by the Slovak Ministry of Environment (Department of State Geological Administration) The Lutila exploration area is located in Central Slovakia and 5km south of the historic Kremnica quartz-adularia gold deposit The Lutila exploration licence covers an area of 32.2km² and has been granted for an initial 4-year period was informed by the Ministry of Environment (Department of State Geological Administration) on September 7 that the property had been transferred to the Company pending a 15-day appeal process No appeals were received during such period The Company is permitted to perform exploration activity on the property immediately The villages of Lutila and Slaská bound the property to the west while the villages of Kopernica and Lúčky lie to the north and the villages of Horná Ves Bartošova Lehôtka and Stará Kremnička bound the property to the east The property is located near the northern margin of the Central Slovak Volcanic Field within an area dominated by north to north-northeast trending faults and post-andesite resurgent rhyolite flow domes and dykes and form a series of horsts and grabens that are extensions of the Banská Štiavnica caldera complex that lies several kilometres to the south The Company was attracted to the property for the following reasons: the above points indicate to the Company that the Kremnica gold deposit most likely has been subjected to approximately 200-300m of erosion including the removal of sinters and the silicified rhyolite flow dome complex so as to expose the quartz-adularia vein system within andesite volcanic rocks at surface and coincident with the precious metal zone which most likely accounts for the exploitation of the deposit over such a long period of time the Company believes that the Lutila Gold Project reflects a continuation of the same volcanic depression which has been downfaulted creating a preserved graben of rhyolite flow domes lavas and their pyroclastic products together with a very large sinter field The Company’s conceptual exploration model is outlined below: Historians estimate that mining of the Kremnica gold deposit may have started as early as the 8th century AD and the town of Kremnica was granted privileges of a free royal mining town in 1328 through a review of historical documentation estimated that approximately 46t Au (1.6Mozs) had been produced from the deposit with the Company assuming that overall recovery rates were poor owns the Kremnica mining lease and has recently released an updated JORC (2012) mineral resource estimate* for the deposit of 2.7Mozs Au (Source: company website) together with a JORC (2012) Exploration Target relating to other quartz-adularia veins on the property Exploration diamond drilling by Metals Tech Ltd within the deposit has revealed some good gold intersections within the quartz-adularia vein system and the reader is encouraged to read Metals Tech Limited’s recent June 2023 Quarterly Activities Report for additional information it is worth noting that a second vein system is associated with the Kremnica gold deposit had vein thicknesses ranging from 0.1 to 2m (but with converging veins the width may be up to 5m with a strike length of up to 1.6km) They have formed in the hanging wall position to the main Kremnica vein system and are located 650m to the east under the town of Kremnica The Vein II system never outcropped at surface and was discovered serendipitously when a dewatering adit intercepted the quartz-adularia veins 2017 report high gold grades from this vein system * This is not a mineral reserve or mineral resource that has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 The BULGOLD team has visited the property in support of its due diligence activities Within the sinter field the team field checked 80% of the outcropping siliceous sinters and confirmed that they were sinters which exhibit horizontal layering (laminations) and contain abundant flora and fauna fossils in the form of moulds and as replacement by low temperature opaline silica which is now chalcedonic quartz The BULGOLD team also noted that some of the sinter occurrences are quite thick up to 25m in some locations and are found at various topographic levels Within the northeast portion of the property the BULGOLD team field checked the silicified rhyolite flow dome complexes ± chalcedonic quartz veins within the Čertov vrch area and cut and slabbed the following float samples in the field (~500mRL): brecciated and banded chalcedonic quartz (colloform-crustiform) in rhyolite rocks from the area of the Čertov vrch; minor marcasite ± pyrite recognised in non-oxidized portions of the rock The gold results were in line with what the Company would expect from their location within the upper lower temperature part of a low-sulfidation epithermal quartz-adularia vein system A significant portion of the due diligence process involved review of public domain information on the Kremnica gold deposit as it has been subjected to various study work over the past fifteen years by various companies the Company was interested in the metallurgical response of the quartz-adularia veins given that the Slovak Republic has banned the use of cyanide for extractive purposes since 2014 completed a prefeasibility study on the Kremnica Gold Project for Tournigan Gold Corporation with an effective date of July 5 The information in the Study is historical information that has not been verified by the Company The following information is taken from the Study: “A program of metallurgical test work was carried out by Process Research Associates (PRA) in Vancouver Canada between 2005 and 2006 on a range of ore samples This work established that Kremnica ore presented no particular treatment problems A number of flowsheet alternatives were examined including gravity concentration cyanide leaching and leaching with alternative lixiviants The selected flowsheet of gravity concentration and cyanide leaching gave higher recoveries than the alternative processes A series of 45 samples were received by PRA and made into 10 composites based on ore type and location A single master composite was made from the 10 primary composites.” The Company was encouraged by this test work in that it shows that unoptimised gravity-flotation test work at an unknown grind size and using <3g/t Au material resulted in an average 79% overall recovery   Veľký háj Exploration Licence & Third-party Bentonite Mining Leases Due to specific procedural requirements with the granting of the Lutila exploration licence a small area within the northeast portion of the licence area and centred on the Veľký háj hill was excluded the Company has submitted the Veľký háj exploration licence application with an area of 1.92km² and this application remains in process Under Slovak law exploration licences for metallic minerals may not overlap with other licences for non-metallic minerals There are currently eight Slovak mining companies actively extracting bentonite from open pits within third-party mining licences which adjoin and abut the Lutila property and the in process Veľký háj exploration licence application Zlatá Kremnica: Tisícročná história baníctva The Company controls 100% of three quality quartz-adularia epithermal gold projects located in the Slovakian and Bulgarian portion of the Western Tethyan Belt: the Lutila Gold Project the Kutel Gold Project and the Kostilkovo Gold Project The scientific and technical information described in this Press Release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 The scientific and technical information for Slovakia and Bulgaria was reviewed and approved by Mr Sean Hasson Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information These statements relate to future events or future performance and include statements relating to the Lutila Gold Project the reason for the Kremnica gold deposit being exploited over a long period of time Lutila Exploration Licence – Geology & Tenure Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/79262a1d-6d56-4676-9483-62179b462e73 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3860c8b2-4ca4-480a-bbfe-bcbcdd1ac7b5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09d8cfbe-c026-4f15-a869-4e2f19d56757 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a67b46df-2afe-4d63-8fd1-9881968614fd https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7dacb31-b10a-47e4-889f-c203f7ab01fe the world became aware of the Holocaust thanks to two young men: Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler The National Bank of Slovakia honors them with a .900 fine silver €10 coin four days before the anniversary of the day in 1944 when the two fleeing prisoners crossed the border into Slovakia two weeks after breaking out of Auschwitz Vrba worked as registrar (Blockschreiber) in the camp From his workplace he could see the so-called “Jewish ramp” where all the trains arrived He diligently memorized the exact number of carriages that transported all those to Auschwitz who were murdered in the gas chambers between April 1942 and April 1944 He planned his escape together with Alfréd Wetzler. It was an indescribably dangerous plan, and they were helped by fellow prisoners and Polish citizens. The report was finished April 27, 1944, and soon the world began learning of the horrors of the Holocaust Artist Ivan Rehák designed the coin which is available in Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof versions The design was inspired by the coded triangles used to identify types of prisoners in the concentration camps.  with the Slovak coat of arms in the left field A lost teddy bear symbolizes all the children whose lives ended in Auschwitz A stylized train comes from the lower edge bringing people to Auschwitz until Vrba and Wetzler’s report helped end such tragedy The men are represented by their two prisoner numbers The reverse depicts the triangular motif as well and shows two naked men who escaped with nothing but their knowledge of the horrific events The right shows the year of their escape and their names: ALFRÉD WETZLER and RUDOLF VRBA The edge inscription translates to: “Nothing overcomes the courage to confront evil.” The coins weigh 18 grams and measure 34 millimeters in diameter The BU coin has a mintage of 5,800 pieces and the Proof version is limited to 13,500 pieces Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs US Coins World Coins The Sturec gold project in central Slovakia is an underground gold and silver mining operation being developed by MetalsTech Gold mining began at Sturec in the 8th century with historical production from the mine totalling 1.5 million ounces (Moz) of gold (Au) and 6.7Moz of silver (Ag) The majority of the production was from underground mine workings although some of it was from small open-pits The gold mine was purchased by Ortac Resources in 2009 and a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the project was released in 2013 the mine is expected to produce up to 1.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) with an average grade of 1.7g/t Au and 14g/t Ag MetalsTech purchased a 100% interest in the Sturec project by exercising an option to purchase Ortac Resources (UK) Ortac received approval for a small-scale underground mining application in 2014 and began trial underground mining at the mine in June that year The mine development activities were halted in 2014 after the Slovakian Government banned the use of the cyanide-based gold recovery process A regional court revoked the regulator’s decision to award the mining permit in 2016 following which the regulator issued an amended underground mining permit paving the way for the restart of small-scale mining activities in July 2017 The Central Mining Bureau issued an extension to the existing underground mining licence in October 2019 which was challenged by the local community The State Mining Administration quashed appeals against the decision to issue the permit in February 2020 The extension allows MetalsTech to undertake mining at the Kremnica Mining Licence for the period between 2019 and 2021 MetalsTech started underground diamond drilling within the Andrej Adit at the Sturec mine The Sturec gold project is located between Kremnica and the village of Lúčky in central Slovakia and 17km west of Banska Bystrica It is situated within the Kremnica Mining Licence area The mineralisation at Sturec is a low-sulphidation epithermal Ag-Au deposit style characterised by Tertiary andesite flows and tuffs The deposit has continuous mineralisation for 1.2km at main zone The mineralisation is between 100m and 150m deep the Sturec gold project is estimated to contain 13.9Mt of proven and probable ore reserves containing 765koz of gold graded at 1.7g/t of Au and 6,385koz of silver at 14.2g/t of Ag The project contains a mineral resource of 21.2Mt graded at 1.5g/t Au and 11.6g/t Ag containing 1.02Moz of gold and 7.94Moz of silver based on JORC (2012) Resource estimate released in April 2020 The PFS considered the use of conventional mining methods of drill MetalsTech is planning to complete the drilling programme to evaluate the extension of the deposit in high-grade zones in the near term The ore from the mine will be sent for metallurgical testing and potential toll treatment of ore for cash flow in the short term The company entered an agreement with Clean Earth Technologies for use of the latter’s cyanide-free thiosulphate-based gold recovery technology for metallurgical test work It is also working on securing further mining permits for potential expansion of resource at Sturec Subject to a successful exploration campaign the company will also work on an updated PFS that will include a revised strategy for mine management and processing The Cycladex process was also studied as a possible processing technique in place of cyanidation Snowden Mining Industry Consultants prepared an updated mineral resource estimate report for the Šturec deposit in 2012 which also completed the PFS for the project in 2013 GBM Minerals Engineering Consultants was contracted to perform flowsheet development and engineering design of the processing plant for the PFS Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Teachers at two schools in Kremnica operated by Swedish Education Group have not received their paychecks since last year Swedish Education Group runs the Private School of Art Industry and the Private Gymnasium in the municipality of Kremnica Its founder's bank accounts are currently blocked as a result of a legal dispute with the regional government Staff at the two schools are now essentially working for free for the third month in a row “We waited to enforce the [legal order against the group] so as not to endanger the students at the schools The [Banská Bystrica] region only proceeded with the enforcement after the founder himself threatened the teaching process by his irresponsible approach and by non-payment of his obligations in the disconnection of the building from the energy supply and making face-to-face teaching impossible," said Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region spokesperson Lenka Štepáneková said that the region did not recognise the payment of rent as a form of investment in the leased property There are only about 20 students attending the two schools Both schools occupy a building that lacks proper heating because it was disconnected from the power grid after the founder failed to pay the electricity bills The Pravda daily published an interview with one of the teachers affected who said that some instructors had resigned at the end of February while others are waiting till the end of March “Those of us who are supposed to be with the students at the written Maturita [school-leaving] exams will do so on March 16 We’re ending our employment contract immediately by reason of non-payment of wages,” teacher Juraj Cinkanič told Pravda The Private School of Art Industry is focused on sustaining the tradition of working with precious metals The crafts practised by artistic engravers and designers are rooted in the town’s history and the school was intended to keep these traditions going the regional government has prepared curriculums and research at a similarly orientated school to sustain their studies The Kremnica school was founded in 1966. Several well-known people studied here, including car designer Jozef Kabaň The school had been run by the Banská Bystrica Region until 2011 when it was handed over to the private owner Slovakia’s Carpathian Mountains are home to world-famous Beech forests that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site The beech forests are now honored on a noncirculating legal tender Proof .900 fine gold €100 coin The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany is a transnational World Natural Heritage site comprising 15 separate habitats The Carpathian primeval beech forests are an archipelago of undisturbed forest islands providing a wide variety of virgin forest habitats in which beech trees achieve record sizes Some of them have exceptionally thick trunks and the tallest reach up to 58 meters The habitats of the Carpathian primeval beech forests are rich in rare plant and animal species many of which can only be found in this type of woods.  The forests are a haven as well for a variety of animals The larvae of the rare beetles rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) and Leptura thoracica grow in the wood of dead beech trees.  The obverse of the coin celebrates the symbiosis with the rosalia longicorn Also in the design are flowers and leaves of Carpathian toothwort Obverse inscriptions identify the country of issue The reverse shows the primeval beech forest habitat with leaves and nuts of the European beech to the right Inside the left rim runs the inscription translating to “World Natural Heritage,” and opposite it is the text meaning “Carpathian primeval beech forests.”  The stylized initials of the coin designer Mária Poldaufová “MP” and the Kremnica Mint mark “MK” also appear on the coin measures 26 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 5,000 pieces.  Collectors interested in this coin will have to search the secondary market ONE OF THE OLDEST continuously operating mints in the world is now carrying out a pretty high-profile task: producing new coins for Slovakia’s switch to the euro in January 2009 ONE OF THE OLDEST continuously operating mints in the world is now carrying out a pretty high-profile task: producing new coins for Slovakia’s switch to the euro in January 2009 The plant in Kremnica minted the first euro coins bearing Slovak national symbols on August 19 after National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) Governor Ivan Šramko and Finance Minister Ján Počiatek had ceremonially started the press The mint is now to set to produce 500 million Slovak euro coins with a total face value of €167 million by December 15 a spokeswoman of the National Bank of Slovakia The Kremnica Mint first started producing coins on 17 November 1328 granted Kremnica the status of a royal free town and the privilege of operating a mint according to the mint’s official website Having euro coins and notes of all nominal values ready is one of the conditions that Slovakia must fulfill in order to ensure a smooth switch to the European single currency In addition to the coins being minted at Kremnica the country will also need 188 million banknotes worth €7 billion Počiatek said he hopes that the new currency will serve Slovakia much longer than the present currency which replaced Czechoslovak crowns in February 1993 after the Czechoslovak Federal Republic split in two the obverse sides of which each country joining the eurozone is entitled to decorate with its own national symbols Slovaks were given the opportunity to vote for their motifs in a nationwide poll organised by the NBS in 2005 in which 140,653 citizens voted via the NBS website The national symbol of the Lorraine cross was the most popular followed by Kriváň peak with 24,589 votes the obverse of the €1 and €2 coins will have a Lorraine cross on three hills while the €0.50 €0.20 and €0.10 coins will carry the image of Bratislava Castle Kriváň peak will decorate the smallest euro coins the Virgin’s Tower of Devín Castle The Lorraine cross symbol is the work of sculptor Ivan Řehák Ján Černaj and Pavel Károly produced the Bratislava Castle motif The Kriváň peak motif was created by Drahomír Zobek who designed all the Slovak coins currently in circulation Kriváň peak is the only existing motif to reappear on the euro coins Slovaks will be able to purchase so-called euro starter packs The pack will consist of 45 euro coins with Slovak motifs: two €2 coins the spokeswoman of the National Bank of Slovakia Jana Kováčová told The Slovak Spectator All together there will be 1.2 million starter packs produced Sale of the packs will commence on December 1 2008; people will be free to buy as many as they choose Slovak Post and the NBS will be selling the packages for Sk500 The NBS consulted with banks over the number of starter packs to produce; they in turn communicated with their clients when making estimates “The value of the starter pack was set at a price which is easy to remember - Sk500 - however the value of the package is not exactly equal to Sk500: the difference might be Sk0.09,” Kováčová said “Since one of the main principles of the euro switch is not to damage the citizen the NBS will cover the difference.” the NBS’s decision to make up the difference will cost it Sk108,000 Other countries switching to the euro applied the same principle the NBS consulted countries such as Slovenia Malta and Cyprus which have adopted the euro over the past couple years and used their experiences of preparing for the new currency The NBS started withdrawing the estimated 450 million Slovak coins in circulation in late August It aims to withdraw the majority of them in mid-January 2009 The Austrian National Bank will lend euro banknotes to Slovakia’s central bank until sufficient banknotes are printed for Slovakia by one of the approved European presses which would like to renew gold mining in the Kremnica mines has opened a mining museum in the Andrej Gallery in the locality of Šturec over Kremnica 610 metres of horizontal mining galleries and corridors have been made accessible They contain exhibits showing gold mining in Kremnica between the 17th and 20th century The tour lasts for about an hour and a half has opened a mining museum in the Andrej Gallery in the locality of Šturec over Kremnica They contain exhibits showing gold mining in Kremnica between the 17th and 20th century we want to show visitors the development of the technology of the transport of ore in the mine and also to create sites for physically adventuresome tourists,” Dušan Roob of Kremnica Gold told SITA is the only well-preserved mining facility in Kremnica suitable for a museum both from a technological point of view and also out of concern for visitors’ safety It is unique because it crosses mining galleries (or tunnels) from the 19th and even from the 16th century as for example the Roth or Klinger galleries said that the impulse for founding the museum was the request of Kremnica inhabitants and visitors The Kremnica Gold company has not given up the idea of reviving the gold mining in the Šturec locality although it failed get the necessary license for the original project and although Kremnica inhabitants and town council are against it the company is preparing to submit a new mining plan I am convinced that the mining will be resumed," he said Underground mining ceased in Kremnica in 1970 KREMNICA Mint was recognised for its important role in Europe's cultural heritage when it received a European Heritage Label last month which is an EU initiative to foster a greater sense of European identity The occasion was also marked by the unveiling of a memorial bust of the mint's founder as well as the opening of new minting premises the Slovak Finance Ministry told the SITA newswire Kremnica Mint is one of the oldest continuously operating facilities of its kind not only in Europe but in the whole world Coins and minted commemorative medals have been made in Kremnica for almost seven hundred years – since 1329 It currently manufactures Slovak euro coins The mint is also protected as a Slovak national cultural monument There will probably be more attractions to come Via ferrata at Skalka near Kremnica will have a new attraction next year as the county is planning to construct a suspended cable bridge It will be made of steel cables and will measure 72 metres “It will be hung 20 to 30 metres above the terrain and its overhang will be around five metres,” Alexander Ferenčík The construction costs will be about €17,600 the Regional Organisation of Tourism for Central Slovakia and a private investor “The statics and the project itself are worked out and the steep pieces are under construction now,” he said for TASR The bridge should be open in the spring of next year Via ferrata at Skalka was made in the last year Even though the municipality expected that the route would be attractive to tourists This was the reason they have added the new attraction and – as the mayor said – it probably won’t be the last one PEOPLE from countries that already belong to the eurozone often say that some weeks after the switch to the euro they felt like they were living in a foreign country where one needed to get accustomed to paying with another currency a different currency might not be such big deal despite all the necessary mental arithmetic the uneven conversion rate and the new banknotes and coins everyone will need to get used to Because it will be the sixth time since 1919 that Slovaks have experienced a significant change in their currency the Slovaks are easy to adapt; we often even hear the question asked whether Slovakia is a laboratory for trying new reforms,” said Marián Tkáč the head of archives at the National Bank of Slovakia The 20th century did not only see several changes to the currency but also witnessed several significant economic upheavals: land reform “People have always remained people,” Tkáč said adding that there’s no need to worry about the Slovak adaptation to euro “Each currency change takes place to ‘solve something’,” Tkáč told the Slovak Spectator.Most of the changes that took place before now were linked to the foundation of a new state and one of them – in 1953 – was connected to the change in the political regime dating from 1948 when communists took power in Czechoslovakia the most controversial changes in currency in the modern history of Slovakia took place after WWII: the currency reform in 1945 and the so-called money reform in 1953 These were the ones that stirred most negative feelings among Slovaks when Slovakia reintegrated with the Czech lands people were sceptical about accepting the new Czechoslovak crown especially because the Slovak currency of the time was relatively strong Another problem was that the currency reform was accompanied by a system of ration tickets which Slovaks had not previously experienced “A ration-ticket system means that money is of no use to you unless you also have special tickets Without them it is impossible to buy goods,” Tkáč said the communists “needed to take money away from people” and introduced what they called a money reform in which the currency formally remained but all existing notes and coins had to be exchanged Despite the fact that the reform abolished the rationing system it was followed by tremendous changes in the national economy since people were deprived of the savings they had managed to gather in the post-war years People could exchange only 300 crowns at a favourable rate of 1:5 the rest were exchanged at a ratio of 1:50 All money had to be exchanged in the course of five days this was the toughest change that Slovaks had to go through The Slovak crowns that Slovaks will be able to use until January 16 only marked their 15th anniversary this year The original plans counted on the Czechoslovak federal currency remaining valid for at least six months after the break-up of Czechoslovakia to give enough time for both countries to prepare their new currencies the Slovak crown was introduced on 8 February 1993 which was also the day when the agreement about currency union with the Czech Republic came to its end “Fifteen years ago there was no reason for nostalgia who attended the birth of the modern Slovak crown and the establishment of the National Bank of Slovakia in 1993 His proposal to rename the new currency from ‘crown’ to ‘ducat’ (to follow the old tradition of the mint in Kremnica) was refused at the time and he admits there might have been some nostalgia for the crown if the name were to have been changed then Tkáč also said there was no need for a large information campaign as is the case with the euro switch “It was enough if my colleagues and I gave a couple of interviews to television or radio and explained to people what was going on,” he said no millions spent on informing the citizens.” the currency change requires citizens to be well informed The past currency changes (with the exception of the money exchange in 1953) always operated with a ratio of 1:1; now the conversion rate is Sk30.1260 for €1 “I myself am afraid of converting the sums and thus multiply and divide by thirty… and I’m also afraid about where to put all the coins so that they don’t split my pockets,” said Tkáč who shares these concerns with most Slovaks But the switch to the euro is special for Slovaks in a completely different respect too: it’s a currency the Slovaks have had to earn they have succeeded over their neighbours: the Czechs With the switch to the euro Slovaks are saying goodbye to the crown that was present here in different forms for 106 years; but it is the first time that the currency has been changed due neither to a change in political regime or state the underdog and outsider from 8 February 1993 has become a leader in a historically short time,” said Tkáč Slovakia was the first in this region to meet the stringent Maastricht criteria 320 million Europeans will be able to use Slovak euro coins and this will contribute to making Slovakia more visible in European countries The switch to the euro is often referred to as completion of the process of ‘the return to Europe’ that Slovakia was torn away from during the cold-war years 2009 date might be just another currency reform that people do not remember so well But it’s possible that the euro will become a symbol of the definitive ‘Europeanisation’ of Slovakia for some time especially if it helps improve the lives of people in the country I am an optimist,” Tkáč concluded It's not the only new attraction in Skalka Tourists of the via ferrata in Skalka near Kremnica can walk on the longest cable bridge and cable climbing net in Slovakia “We finished part of the via ferrata called Komín,” said Alexander Ferenčík It is a cable bridge 30 metres in height and 79 metres in length There is also a 37.5-metre high climbing cable net The Komín via ferrata is located in the Kremnické Mountains The route starts at Pekná Vyhliadka A popular attraction on the route is a tunnel that was reconstructed two years ago The via ferrata is only one-way and it has three possible directions: Komín with a difficulty of C Trubačova Veža with a difficulty of B and Challenge with a difficulty of E the most-challenging via ferrata ever built in Slovakia The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.skSubscribe now for full access Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail) PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk Etela Mitrová-Lučová (1975)She specializes in traditional inter-braiding techniques using natural materials He searches for inspiration in various domestic as well as foreign wood techniques for his products His children's puzzle Gringo received the Slovak Design Centre's prize in 1993 and was mass-produced by Norris Wood His works received awards in all three years of ÚĽUV's competition for designers Uhrín's experiments with plate metal and wire resulted in cooperation with Kremnica company AMI Inox Design In the 1990s Uhrín taught at the School of Utility Art in Kremnica and today leads the Department of Design at Košice's Technical University's Art Faculty She specializes in traditional inter-braiding techniques using natural materials Her wicker divan received an award at ÚĽUV's Rings in Water 2002 She also won a Slovak Design Centre prize and Design Forum prize in Nitra Mitrová-Lučová cooperates with AMI Inox Design and her wicker seat furniture also sells at Bratislava's Flader who is trying to steadily incorporate the phenomenon of the Slovak tinker's craft into his A special characteristic of his work is the design of lamps He cooperates with the Brik and AMI Inox Design companies Mišurda's wire lamps received awards in ÚĽUV's Rings in Water competition in 2000 and 2002 In 2004 he won an award at the Furniture and Living fair a talent who has been working with wire since 1997 Pecúch designed a café interior in Košice It is difficult for companies to survive for many years in response to the rapidly changing social and economic trends ◆ 1: Europe The following map shows the oldest existing companies in Europe by country The oldest company in Europe is the restaurant “ companies that have been around for a long time are not limited to eating and drinking ◆ 2: North America continent The oldest existing company on the North American continent is the Mexican Mint , founded in 1534 in Mexico . The oldest surviving company in the United States is ◆ 3: South America continent South America is the same color map as North America. Chile's oldest company is the state-owned firearms manufacturer ◆ 4: Asia In Asia, there is only one dark blue color that indicates 'Founded 500 to before 749' throughout the map. In China, Ma Yu Xingyue Chicken 'Okeko chicken' is a chicken dish that uses a seasoning called 'bushimizu' ◆ 5: Africa In Africa, all companies have been in business since 1750, and nearly half of the 10 oldest companies are post offices. BusinessFinancing.co.uk explains in this regard, 'Huge continents needed a solid postal service.' The oldest company in Africa is the ◆ 6 ： Oceania The oldest company in Oceania is the The table below lists the top 10 oldest companies that have survived even at the time of article creation Headline news on February 27, 2020 Amazon and Facebook delete products and advertisements claiming `` Prevention and complete cure of new coronavirus infection '' Feb 27, 2020 17:09:00 in Note