The second set of gold ducats and silver thalers from the Czech Mint's series entitled Dowry Towns commemorates the turbulent life of Sophia of Bavaria.

Her life changed when, at the age of twelve, she accompanied her uncle Frederick of Bavaria to the Diet of the Realm, where she met Wenceslaus IV. The 27-year-old ruler was King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, but also a childless widower in need of a new wife. The adolescent Sophie of Bavaria charmed him, and he soon proposed marriage to her.  She was an excellent choice – her family, the Wittelsbachs, who held the highest offices in the empire, were very powerful. However, the marriage was not just a mutually beneficial alliance – they loved each other. When Sophie moved to Prague, she was a stranger, but she adapted perfectly to her new surroundings. She learned the language and became an enthusiastic supporter of Master Jan Hus. Bohemia seemed a welcoming and hospitable place, but clouds were gathering over the country. Although Wenceslas tried to be a successful ruler, his lethargy, hedonism and inability to solve problems caused him to squander almost everything his father Charles IV had left him. The king's disputes with the church hierarchy culminated in the torture of John of Nepomuk. Clashes with the higher nobility turned into open conflict, during which Wenceslas was captured and imprisoned. His authority in the empire declined, and he was stripped of his title of Roman king as ‘a useless and lazy man, completely unsuitable for the Roman Empire’. Understandably, the king's ambitious brother, Sigismund of Luxembourg, began to claim his position. The turning point came with the burning of Jan Hus, which led to the radicalisation of society. Sophie continued to support Hus' followers, but when Wenceslas heard about the Defenestration of Prague, he suffered a brain stroke. The widowed queen regent found that she was unable to defend her position or her property, so she was forced to abandon her support for the reformist wing. In this situation, it would have been logical to seek refuge in one of the dowry towns. After all, her husband had left her Dvůr, later entitled Dvůr Králové, Trutnov and Mělník. However, the Hussite Wars deprived Sophia of this support, and she became completely dependent on Sigismund. She took refuge at his court in Pressburg. There, however, she was tolerated only with displeasure, and so she withdrew from court life. The Czech queen lived out her days in a town house, poor and forgotten...

The two-piece set is the work of academic sculptor Michal Vitanovský. On the obverse side of the ducat, you will find the crowned head of Sophia of Bavaria depicted in a three-quarter view. ‘The portrait is based on numerous depictions in the Bible of Wenceslas IV. An additional element is the Latin version of Sophia's name connected with the motif of documents that the queen issued in favour of her cities,’ explains the author. The obverse side of the thaler is dedicated to the queen's favourite dowry town. "Sophie paid the most attention to Dvůr Králové. The overall view of the town is complemented by the royal crown and a detail from the keystone of the Church of St. John the Baptist. This rare relief can be interpreted as the oldest form of the town's coat of arms,‘ adds the medal maker. The reverse side, which is common to both the ducat and the thaler, features the names of all Sophia of Bavaria's dowry towns and two characteristic attributes. ’The kingfisher in a whirlwind is linked several times in the Bible of Wenceslas IV to the personalities of the kng and queen. The stone loach was supplied to the queen from Dvůr Králové," concludes history expert Michal Vitanovský. The shield with the profile of a woman, above which is a heraldic motif of a castle crown, is the unifying element of the entire series from the Czech Mint.

The issue limit of the gold and silver set is only 200 pieces.