The cycle of gold ducats minted by the Czech Mint represents the seventh Czechoslovak president Ludvík Svoboda - a man, who participated in all events of our country during the 20^th century.

Ludvík Svoboda became head of Czechoslovakia in 1968. However, his presidential story began much earlier. During the First World War he became a legionnaire and fought at Zborov. He experienced the Siberian Anabasis and began his career as an officer in the First Republic. After the Munich Agreement hewent abroad and became a commander of the Czechoslovak military group. He led his men to the Soviet Union. The Kremlin leaders took a suspicious approach to him and he was almost executed. However, he proved his integrity, loyalty and determination and he was allowed to fight for his country. Moreover, after the crusade starting in Buzuluk, he became the commander of the 1^st Czechoslovak independent brigade in Prague. Followed by a series of ups and downs – he became the Defence Secretary after the Czechoslovak coup in February. He was immediately moved to the collective farm in his native village. During the Prague Spring the communists found him as the ideal president of the changing country. Hope for change, however, was destroyed by the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops on August 21, 1968. On one hand the president revolted against Soviet, but on the other hand he was not able to stop the normalization. Despite his poor health he was finally elected the head of state, but not for a long time - in 1975 he was removed from his office and lived in seclusion.

"The obverse side is dominated by a portrait of Ludvik Svoboda, which reflects responsibility, concern and burden of his life fate. The general's uniform reminds his major activities during the two world wars, when he gained respect at home and in Moscow, " says the author of the ducat the academic sculptor Jiří Dostál. An inscriptions on the obverse side show the president's name and vital data 1895-1979 together with another inscription THE PRAGUE SPRING AND INVASION OF WARSAW PACT TROOPS. The reverse side bears the national emblem, the republic territory, which was attacked by the allied army together with an inscription PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIALIST REPUBLIC and the years 1968-1975, which define the president's term of office.

This gold ducat is stored in a package in the form of a book, including an illustrations, photographs and scientific texts written by the historian PhDr. Petr Koura, Ph.D., who describes the fate of Ludvik Svoboda.