(BRATISLAVA) - Slovakia, which will adopt the euro currency from January next year, began producing its own euro coins on Tuesday, said the country's Mint at Kremnica.

About 500 million coins, weighing a total of 2,406 tonnes will be struck at the Mint from Tuesday until the end of the year, said spokesman Jaroslav Setnicky.

The one- and two-euro sides will feature a cross planted on top of a mountain with three summits, which features on Slovakia's coat of arms and on its national flag.

The 10-, 20-, 50-cent coins will feature Bratislava Castle, while the one-, two- and five-cent 'copper' coins will show Mount Krivan in the Tatras mountain range, which is a symbol of the nation's sovereignty.

The Kremnica Mint, based in a central village of only 8,000 inhabitants, was founded in 1328 by Hungary's King Charles I Robert.

Slovakia, part of Czechoslovakia until splitting peacefully from the Czech Republic in 1993, joined the European Union in 2004.

EU finance ministers cleared it to join the eurozone in July this year.

The government set up a high-level watchdog to monitor price rises after the country adopts the euro, amid concern that the currency switch might lead to inflation.

Slovakia will become the 16th country to adopt the currency since it was created in 1999.

The euro will replace the Slovak crown after 16 years. It was brought in after the break-up of Czechoslovakia.

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