In 2011, the Czech National Bank began issuing a series of gold commemorative coins with a nominal value of CZK 5,000 called Bridges of the Czech Republic. The fourth coin in the series depicts the Negrelli’s railway bridge in Prague.
The design of the coin was selected in a country-wide anonymous competition. The author of the winning design – academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů – won thanks to apposite and clean representation of the theme with emphasis on the monumentality of the bridge and well balanced composition of both sides of the coin.
All coins in the series “Bridges of the Czech Republic” are made of 999.9 gold, each of them weighs 15.55 g and measures 28 mm in diameter. The coins are minted either in standard quality where the entire coin surface is uniformly polished, or in proof quality, i.e. with highly polished mint field and matted relief.
Due to its length (1,111 m) the Negrelli’s bridge ranked among the biggest railroad projects in Europe. At the time of completion it featured 87 stone arches, including 8 granite ones spanning the river, while the remaining ones were made of sandstone. The original width of the bridge road was 7.6 metres, with stone railing 9 metres.
The bridge links the Masaryk railway station with the Praha – Bubny railway station and crosses the Štvanice island. It is the first railway bridge in Prague and the second oldest stone bridge spanning the Vltava River - after the Charles bridge. It was projected as an integral part of the railway line Olomouc – Prague – Dresden. For higher security of rail transport the original stone railing was removed (although part of it was preserved near the Štvanice island) and replaced with a metal one.
Despite adaptations, the bridge ranks among unique and flawless railway structures. In 2002, it survived without damage the most severe flood of recent years.
The obverse side of the coin features one of the bridge arches with heraldic animals from the Czech Republic’s state emblem in the upper part. The legend at the heel of the arch reads MOSTY - ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA (BRIDGES – CZECH REPUBLIC), denomination of the coin – 5,000 CZK and the sign of the mint.
On the reverse side the view of the arches of railway viaduct in perspective dominates, in the back there is a close-up of one of the arches again and above it text in circumscription NEGRELLIHO VIADUKT V PRAZE (NEGRELLI’S VIADUCT IN PRAGUE). Below the bridge we can see the year of mintage (2012) and the author’s sign.