In 2025, we will commemorate the 900th anniversary of the death of chronicler Cosmas. To mark this occasion, the Czech Mint has issued a half-ounce gold medal, which is part of the most beautiful unrealised designs submitted to competitions organised by the Czech National Bank.

Thanks to Cosmas, who became famous as the first Czech historian, we know about the early Czech history, but we do not know much about him. He was born sometime in the middle of the 11th century, probably into a wealthy family with priestly roots. Otherwise, he would hardly have received the high-quality education he enjoyed during his lifetime. He began his studies in Prague and completed them at one of the most renowned institutions of the time – the cathedral school in Liège, Belgium, which produced leading church dignitaries and scholars. However, he did not become a student until he was quite old, so it can be assumed that he did not originally consider a career in the church. It is interesting to note that he was ordained as a married man. At that time, however, this was not unusual, as celibacy was only slowly being introduced. In his homeland, Cosmas became a canon of the Prague Chapter and a confidant of the Bishop of Prague, whom he accompanied on his travels. This broadened his horizons, which were considerably limited in the case of ordinary medieval people. When he became dean of the chapter at St. Vitus, he was rightly considered an educated man fully qualified to write the Chronicle of the Bohemians. In it, he described our history from the biblical confusion of languages through the legendary forefather Čech and the first Christian Czech prince Bořivoj to his own time at the beginning of the 12th century. Work on these remarkable chronicles, which served as a source of education and entertainment, ceased in 1125, at the time of Cosmas' death. Although other chroniclers continued his work, none of them were able to match him...

The design by medal maker MgA. Josef Oplištil served as a model for the commemorative medal. On the obverse side, you will find Cosmas himself in an idealised form as a canon, creating his immortal work with a quill in his hand. The image, which is supplemented with the coat of arms of the Prague Chapter, is framed by a Romanesque window and illuminated by rays of sunlight. The reverse side is dedicated to Cosmas' chronicle, whose pages bring to life figures from Czech history.

The issue limit is only 99 pieces. Each medal is also numbered on the edge.