5 Euros Black Stork

Slovakia's polymer-core collector euro series, of which this brass piece is part, was introduced to give the central bank a vehicle for nature-themed issues without competing directly with the bimetallic circulation coinage. The black stork (Ciconia nigra) breeds in Slovakia's old-growth riparian forests, particularly along the Morava and Váh corridors, and has been a protected species under Slovak law since 1974 — decades before EU habitat directives formalized those obligations.

KM#198 is a single-year issue with no planned continuation in this specific design.