Gold Coin Patrons - Saint Wenceslas proof
Gold Coin Patrons - Saint Wenceslas proof
Product description
The next gold coin in the Czech Mint's Patron Saints series features Saint Wenceslas.
Prince Wenceslas of the Přemysl dynasty, who ruled the Czech lands in the 10th century, was renowned as a peaceful ruler endowed with many virtues, among which chivalry, morality, and piety stood out. He cultivated wine and grain for Holy Communion, cared for the poor, and built church buildings, such as the Prague Rotunda of St. Vitus, the predecessor of the cathedral of the same name. Wenceslas was led to a pure life in the spirit of the Christian faith by his grandmother, Saint Ludmila, who raised him until she was murdered by Wenceslas's spiteful mother, Drahomíra. The country prospered under Wenceslas's rule, even after he was defeated in battle by the German ruler Henry I. Ptáčník. He managed to preserve the sovereignty of the Czech lands at the cost of submitting to the German Empire. Wenceslas' younger brother Boleslav could not bear this and betrayed and murdered him. The fratricidal conflict, which resulted in the tragic death of the prince, gave rise to a number of legends. These legends made Wenceslas an unattainable ideal – the only Czech saint whose feast day is part of the worldwide calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, the heavenly patron of the Czech lands, and a hero who, when the Czechs are in dire straits, will rise from the dead and come to the aid of his people...
Medal maker David Kružliak depicted Saint Wenceslas on the reverse side of the coin as a ruler wearing a princely cap. The relief also features the Přemyslid coat of arms, which depicts a flaming eagle, and the composition is completed by hop cones, which remind us that Saint Wenceslas is also the patron saint of beer and brewers. The Czech-English inscription on the reverse side bears ST. WENCESLAS – SV. VÁCLAV. As the license to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is provided by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary attributes – a portrait of King Charles III, the nominal value of 2 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2025.
The gold coin, weighing half a gram, is set in a special Czech-English package. It will serve as an affordable gift or an original addition to a collection and will become a talisman for good luck.