Slovenia’s May 12 coin issue, a noncirculating €3 collector coin, marks the 300th anniversary of the Škofja Loka Passion Play, the nation’s oldest play.

Slovenia’s  passion play, presenting stories primarily from the life and death of Jesus, dates back at least to 1721. The antique play’s manuscript is kept by the Škofja Loka monastery.

Though the ringed-bimetallic €3 coin does not circulate, 40,000 examples were issued at face value through the nation’s central bank.

A central design element appears on both sides, a pair of crossed lines, with their intersection representing the center of the event — the streets of Škofja Loka.

Around the crossed lines on the obverse, a set of three broken angular outlines form an outline of the auditorium and also suggest the play’s crown of thorns. Each of the 13 vertices of the “crown” represents a portion of the Škofja Loka Passion. The reverse carries the 1721 date of the celebrated play and the name of the play’s writer-director.

The artwork for the coins was designed by Matej Štanta.

The €3 coin has a copper-nickel-zinc outer ring surrounding a copper-nickel center.

The coin weighs 15 grams and measures 32 millimeters in diameter.

In total, 750 Proof examples packaged in capsules were issued for €17 each.

Other collector versions, 1,000 silver €30 coins and 500 gold €100 coins, were also issued. Collectors seeking to obtain the coins must search the secondary market.

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