Gold coins of the Czech National Bank with a nominal value of 10,000 CZK are always dedicated to the most important national anniversaries. The standard quality coin issued in 2025 is dedicated to the 1100th anniversary of the beginning of the reign of Saint Wenceslas.

A brave knight, a pious prince, a holy martyr. This is how the protector of all Czechs and the heavenly patron of the Czech lands is remembered today. But what was Wenceslas really like? Is it even possible to distinguish the real historical figure from the idealised legend that generations of chroniclers have shaped in their own image? Unfortunately, very little is known about this man from the Přemyslid dynasty, who lived at a time when Christianity was just taking root and the long process of establishing Czech statehood was underway. Even so, we know that he was the son of Prince Vratislaus. He was raised by his grandmother Ludmila, a devout Christian, which was difficult for his mother Drahomíra to bear. When Vratislaus died, Drahomíra, who longed for power, sensed an opportunity – Wenceslaus was not yet of age, so she took power. She expelled Christian priests, destroyed newly built churches and eventually had Ludmila murdered. When Václav finally ascended the throne, he banished his treacherous mother. For ten years, he ruled as his grandmother had taught him – kindly, justly and godly. In the end, he even forgave Drahomíra. The country prospered, even after Wenceslas was defeated in battle by the German ruler Henry I. He managed to preserve the sovereignty of the Czech lands at the cost of submitting to the German Empire. However, Wenceslas' younger brother Boleslav could not accept this and betrayed and murdered him. This fratricidal conflict, which has become an integral part of our national identity, has been passed down from generation to generation for a thousand years...

The winner of the Czech National Bank's art competition was academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů. The expert jury praised “the imaginative collage of St. Vitus' rotunda, built by St. Wenceslas, which stood on the site of today's St. Vitus Cathedral, and the symbol of the Přemyslids – the flaming eagle“. The depiction of Saint Wenceslas on the reverse side is based on illuminations from the Velislav Bible and frescoes from the Rotunda of Saint Catherine in Znojmo. It is interesting to note that Wenceslas was tall, with a narrow face and, contrary to popular belief, probably had light hair. The date of his accession to the throne is not documented in historical sources. However, it can be proven that he ruled in the autumn of 925, when he had the remains of Saint Ludmila transferred to Prague, and so we symbolically commemorate this year.

All Czech coins are minted by the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou.