Second medal pays tribute to Ostrava as a centre of trade

From the eight-year cycle of gold and silver medals History of Ostrava - Eight Centuries of the City, this year's second medal, entitled OSTRAVA AS A CENTRE OF TRADE - HISTORICAL HISTORY, has seen the light of day. The theme is the 660th anniversary of the granting of market rights by Charles IV. Ostrava and the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Ostrava Museum.

"We chose the designs to reflect aspects important for the existence of Ostrava and at the same time to be associated with the round anniversaries." The entire series consists of eight medals symbolically issued annually in the last quarter of the year. The first of these was last year's Living Nature of Ostrava - subtitled Science and Education.

"On the occasion of the christening of the second commemorative medal from the series 800 Years of Ostrava's History, we have prepared an exhibition entitled We are Going Shopping, which will present the basic milestones and themes of the phenomenon of trade, as the medal commemorates the year 1362 and the granting of the market right to the city of Ostrava," said Filip Petlička, director of the Ostrava Museum, adding that this year also marks 150 years since the beginnings of Ostrava's museum industry. "That is why the medal will be christened in our museum, which makes us very happy. In addition to the Going Shopping exhibition, the commemorative medal itself and other items related to the Czech Mint and the production of the commemorative medal will be on display in the museum," Petlička added.

The exhibition of gold and silver medals commemorating the anniversary of Ostrava presents a selected cross-section of the Czech Mint's product output as it enters its third decade of life. "And our most prestigious product forms the central theme in the showcases. We also hold a double entry in the Czech Book of Records for the heaviest mass-produced coin. In addition, this year the gold and silver investment coins Czech Lion celebrated their five-year anniversary," reminded Lenka Klimentová, spokesperson for the Czech Mint, adding that the exhibition will run at the Ostrava Museum from 27 October to 27 November 2022.

"I used to naively think that a company or institution is primarily formed by its economic possibilities or the quality of its collections and some level of awareness. Today, already in my years, I know that it is primarily people, their work, the collective, ideas, education... It is a pleasure to be invited somewhere where it works and something new is created and no one minds that it is only for a month," says Petr Maďa, the project's producer and the Czech Mint's largest business partner for North Moravia.

The author of the design of the reverse, which is the same for all editions, is Asamat Baltajev. The main motif consists of the heraldic symbolism from the city flag supplemented by allegorical elements. "We managed to hide some symbolism in the reverse, for example, the number of eight - the number of centuries since the first written mention of the town and also the number of medals in the cycle," points out the interesting feature of the medal, adding that the obverse changes every year. This follows the old tradition of a single side with the coat of arms and changing occasional sides for similar mintages.

While the obverse of the first medal in the series History of Ostrava - Eight Centuries of the City - Living Nature of Ostrava - with the subtitle Science and Education was made by the medal maker Mária Poldaufová, this year's one is by the renowned medal maker and teacher Petr Horák. The complete cycle will create a specific gallery of works by contemporary medallists in their generational cross-section. "We selected the authors from among our best medallists, from experienced renowned artists to promising young ones," said Vítězslav Vilímek from the University of Ostrava on the occasion of last year's premiere.

Gradually, the whole cycle will include: Settlement of Ostrava - a man-made city, Inanimate nature of Ostrava - the creation of coal seams, The last war conflict in Ostrava - Czechs, Germans, Poles and Jews, Art and collecting in Ostrava - inspiration and creation, City building and urban planning - the first written mention of Ostrava, and in 2028 it will conclude with Mining and heavy industry in Ostrava - vanished professions.

"The sizes and weights of the medals have been chosen to reflect the characteristic features of Czech commemorative coins and historical circulation coins made of precious metals. They are all produced from one design in standard quality," Petr Maďa explains, adding that the gold ducat medal with a diameter of 19.75 mm weighs 3.49 g. The silver tolar medal with a diameter of 40 mm weighs 29 g.

All medals from the series History of Ostrava - Eight Centuries of the City are minted by the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou. "We are extremely grateful that our long-term cooperation on interesting projects continues and we are launching another medal from the eight-year cycle, which pays tribute to Ostrava and the Ostrava region," said Aleš Brix, Commercial Director and member of the Board of Directors of the Czech Mint.