Replica of Vladislav Jagellonský ducat standard

Vladislav II Jagellonský (also known as Ladislaus Jagiellon) was elected to the Czech throne in 1471 at the recommendation of George of Poděbrady. However, until 1490 he reigned only over Bohemia out of the Czech lands, while Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia were controlled by Matthias I Corvinus, who was proclaimed the Czech king already in 1469. Under Vladislav II’s weak reign the power of nobility increased. He was nicknamed “King Bene“, (in Czech “Král Dobře“) because of his standard reply to the requirements of the Czech noblemen. Thanks to the second culmination of silver mining in Kutná Hora he expanded the Royal Mint and funded the construction of monumental structures, for example his temporary seat Italian Court (Vlašský dvůr) in Kutná Hora, completion of costruction of St. Barbora Cathedral in the same town, and Vladislav’s Hall at the Prague Castle. Towards the end of his reign, rich silver deposits were found in Jáchymov in the Giant Mountains. He renewed the coinage of Czech ducats (after Wenceslas IV), but the first figure to be depicted on the coins was St. Wenceslas as the Patron of Bohemia. The ducat dated 1511 is also the first Czech coin with a date.