Gold trade coin Czech ducat saint Wenceslas shine
Gold trade coin Czech ducat saint Wenceslas shine
The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint
Product description
The Czech National Bank issues its first commercial coin in 2024. It is a gold Czech ducat with the motif of St. Wenceslas.
The first Czech gold coins, called ducats, were minted by Charles IV, the "Father of the Homeland". When the Jagiellonians came to the Czech throne, the figure of St. Wenceslas - the patron saint of the Czech lands - appeared in relief for the first time. The gold content of the ducats was carefully controlled and they belonged to the most reliable coins of their time. The weight of each ducat was set at 3.49 g and the purity of the gold used at 986/1000. Gradually, various multiples began to appear - from two ducats to one hundred ducats - and ducats remained legal tender for several centuries. When Finance Minister Alois Rašín was thinking about how to celebrate Czechoslovakia's 5th birthday in 1923, he decided to revive the historical tradition of minting Czech gold coins. The First Republic's St. Wenceslas ducats were so-called trade coins that served to preserve value, but also as a gift for important events - for a cradle, a graduation or even a wedding.
A century later, the Czech National Bank prepared the modern Czech ducats, whose motif is St. Wenceslas again. The winner of the art competition was the academic sculptor Vladimír Oppl. The expert committee particularly appreciated "the excellent portrait of St. Wenceslas with a helmet on the reverse side and the perfect rendering of the Czech lion". The two-tailed heraldic beast is supplemented with lime leaves supplemented with the inscription ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA (CZECH REPUBLIC) on the obverse side of the ducat. The relief of the coin also includes the text of the famous chant: SVATÝ VÁCLAVE, NEDEJ ZAHYNOUTI NÁM I BUDOUCÍM. (ST. WENCESLAS, DO NOT LET US PERISH).
The commercial coin minted by the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou has an open issue - this means that its issue limit is unlimited.