Rákosníček was born in 1976 – exactly 50 years ago. The hero, who was born in the mind of a famous animator, can be found on the first gold coin from the Czech Mint’s three-part miniseries titled Zdeněk Smetana’s Fairy-Tale World.

“Behind a fog so thick you could cut it with a knife, and quite possibly even further, lies Brčálník Pond. During the day it is quite ordinary, but as soon as pitch-black darkness covers it in the evening, strange things begin to happen there. First, there is a splash in the water, a rustle under the bank, a crackle in the reeds, a snap in the willow, and only then does Rákosníček! He is a restless little elf, curious as a monkey… A little green man, with big ears, an even bigger nose, and hair sticking up like antennae, he is literally bursting with ideas. He invents things and advises the pond’s inhabitants, battles the whims of the weather, and dashes across the night sky, where he has adventures with the stars. He always lends a helping hand to those who need it. More than once he finds himself in a tricky situation and often has to fix what he himself messed up, but don’t worry—in the end, everything turns out all right…

The coin was designed by medalist Eva Prousková, DiS., who created a faithful relief reconstruction of Zdeněk Smetana’s work. On the reverse side, you will find the cheerful Rákosníček, who skillfully balances on a ball. Since the Czech Mint’s coins are issued under a foreign license from the island of Niue, the obverse side features a portrait of King Charles III, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD), and the year of issue 2026.

An integral part of the gold coin is a special collector’s album, where you can store the complete collection of three fairy-tale coins.