A new five-year cycle of the Czech National Bank is opened in 2021. It is dedicated to the most important urban conservation areas in the Czech Republic. The first gold coin with a nominal value of 5,000 CZK, which was minted in top quality proof, recalls the beauty of Cheb.

Cheb is mentioned in written sources as early as 1061. It is one of the oldest Czech towns and boasts a unique set of architecture from the Romanesque period to the 19th century. Therefore, it is not surprising that its historic core was declared a city conservation area in 1981. On the hill above Ohře river there is a Romanesque castle with a unique two-storey chapel, which Friedrich Barbarossa had rebuilt into an imperial Palatinate. The magnificent square boasts Špalíček - a set of half-timbered merchant houses from the 14th century -, the Baroque town hall or the Pachelbel House, where Albrecht of Wallenstein was murdered. Cheb also abounds in a wealth of valuable religious monuments - for example, the monumental Church of St. Nicholas or the ancient Franciscan monastery.

The winner of the Czech National Bank art competition and the author of the coin was medal maker Jiří Hanuš, DiS. The expert committee especially appreciated the detailed design of the wooden structure on the obverse side of the coin. The trussing, which is a typical feature of historic Cheb houses, incorporates heraldic animals from the Czech Republic. The reverse side is dominated by a collage composed of the most important architectural monuments of Cheb, which are depicted on the floor plan of the city conservation area.

The following cities will also appear in the thematic cycle of gold coins: Jihlava, Mikulov, Litoměřice, Kroměříž, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, Moravská Třebová, Štramberk and Tábor. You can save the complete ten-part collection in a wooden collector's etue, which you will also find in the offer of the Czech Mint.