Švihov is the eighth castle which appears on the gold coin of the Czech National Bank with a nominal value of 5,000 CZK. The beauty of the Gothic building stands out in top quality proof.

Castles in the Middle Ages fulfilled a number of important functions - residential, administrative, economic, but everyone first recalls the defensive one. Švihov was owned by Vilém of Skála - a follower of Catholicism who stood on the side of Emperor Sigismund during the era of the Hussite wars. Since the Hussite town Klatovy was situated near the fortress, Vilém placed a strong garrison there. However, the army that besieged the fort in May 1425 was so strong that Švihov had no chance. The sources say that the Utraquist commanders had come "with eight thousand footmen and more than a thousand riders, with three catapults and large cannons." The Švihov garrison surrendered after two weeks of siege - after the invaders released the moats that played a key role in defending the water castle. The Swedes, who plundered the Czech lands during the Thirty Years' War, also wanted to conquer Švihov. They attacked the castle twice, but unsuccessfully. Once the weapons had ceased, the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand III. ordered to raze Švihov to the ground. He feared that the castle might become an "impregnable base of anti-Habsburg resistance" or fall into the hands of robbing hordes that wandered the landscape as a result of a long-standing war. Fortunately, Švihov was spared the complete demolition. Although it lost its fortifications, it remained the only Czech water castle that retained the appearance of a medieval fortress.

The proposal of medal maker Luboš Charvát won the design competition of the Czech National Bank. The reverse side of the coin presents a view of the castle courtyard through the late Gothic portal. The obverse side then belongs to the interior of the Švihov Chapel of the Assumption of Mary with the dominant altar. The composition of the obverse side is completed by heraldic animals of the Czech Republic.

All czech coins - both circulation and commemorative - are minted in the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou.