The last of the new seven wonders of the world is the Great Wall of China. This legendary structure is commemorated by a gold coin minted by the Czech Mint weighing one tenth of a troy ounce.

Ancient China was a powerful and prosperous empire whose wealth attracted conquering invaders and nomads. Horsemen moved quickly, striking anywhere and anytime, and then galloping away  unharmed. The Chinese rulers were not going to take this lying down. To defend the empire and the famous Silk Road, they built a wall the world had never seen before. The Great Wall of China was built from materials that were available locally. In the plains, this was clay, which was compacted in layers into formwork and then walled up. In mountainous areas, stones were mainly used, while in deserts, sand, reeds and tamarisk were used. An unusual ingredient in the mortar was sticky rice. Millions of people worked on the construction, and it is estimated that the cruel Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who began construction in 221 BC, involved nearly three-quarters of his country's population. Hundreds of thousands of them died of exhaustion, and it is said that even their bones were used as building material. The wall did not take its present form until eighteen centuries later, during the Ming dynasty. At that time, the wall was built by professional craftsmen using durable materials such as stone and fired bricks. Today, the wall is an incredible 8,851 kilometres long, making it the longest structure in the world. It is up to 10 metres high, 8 metres thick at the base and tapers to 5 metres at the top. This width was sufficient for six horsemen to ride side by side. The wall also served as a road along which the army could move quickly through the impassable terrain. At regular intervals – ideally twice the range of a bow – 25,000 watchtowers were built, as well as barracks and warehouses. The structure, which demonstrated Chinese power, is still awe-inspiring today. It can even be seen from orbit...

The reverse side of the coin, designed by medal maker Ludmila Kracíkové, DiS., shows the Great Wall of China in hilly terrain. A detail of the fortifications is supplemented with the English inscription GREAT WALL OF CHINA. The obverse side, which is common to the entire series, features all seven new wonders of the world – the Brazilian statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Jordanian rock city of Petra, the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, the Roman Colosseum, the Indian monument Taj Mahal, the Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with a foreign licence from the island of Niue, they also bear its national emblem, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2025 on the obverse side.

Each coin is sealed in a special packaging.

Note: The packaging is covered with foil to prevent damage during transport.