The seventh set of two gold ducats from the Czech Mint's Royal Couple series, which pays tribute to important historical couples, is dedicated to Bořivoj I. and St. Ludmila.

Although Ludmila is the first Czech woman whose name has been historically documented, we know about her life mainly from legends. As the daughter of the Vladyka of Pšov, she married the Přemyslid prince Bořivoj I. When he visited the prince Svatopluk I of Moravia, he met Methodius and was soon baptised. Why did he decide to do so? Legend says that, as a pagan, he had to sit on the ground at Svatopluk's court, which humiliated him, so he preferred to embrace the new faith. However, it was probably for political reasons - he wanted to treat Svatopluk as an equal in order to gain his favour and military support. His decision quickly paid off, as he had to face an uprising of supporters of the Frankish empire in Bohemia... Together with Bořivoj, Princess Ludmila also accepted baptism. She quickly forgot that she had grown up in a pagan environment and was accustomed to sacrificing to Slavic gods, but she quickly adopted Christian principles. In an effort to get closer to Christ, she became a mother of the poor, a light to the blind, and a helper to widows and orphans. In all her care for the needy, however, she did not neglect the family hearth and gave birth to six children. One of the sons of Bořivoj and Ludmila was Prince Vratislav – a competent ruler who was the first to expand beyond the borders of the Bohemian basin. Vratislav chose as his wife the pagan Drahomíra, who accepted Christianity, but did not abound in love for her neighbours. She also did not love her mother-in-law Ludmila, whom she had strangled after Vratislav's death. She wanted to gain undisturbed rule over the country and absolute influence over the upbringing of her sons. These sons were named Wenceslas and Boleslaus and their legendary fratricidal feud laid the foundations of Czech statehood...

"The period depictions of Bořivoj and Ludmila have not been preserved. The portraits on the joint obverse side are idealised, but the hair and drapery are respectful of the period. The pair, consisting of a male and female head, is connected by a cross referring to the moment of the baptism of Bořivoj and Ludmila associated with the year 882. Given the uncertainty surrounding the basic dates of the prince and princess' lives, only the dates of their deaths, which are more likely, were used," says academic sculptor Michal Vitanovský. "The reverse side of the prince recalls how Bořivoj founded the first church in Bohemia. The form of the Church at Levý Hradec has long been identified with the type of rotunda, the ground plan of which serves as a secondary motif. According to more recent opinions, however, the rotunda was preceded by an even older sacral building, most probably wooden. The choice of the motif for the reverse side of the princess was then based primarily on her role as grandmother and teacher. There is no evidence that Ludmila and her grandson Wenceslas were literate, and the motif of religious instruction is therefore represented only by general gestures. The sainthood, which occurred after their death, is expressed by the haloes," adds the author of the thalers and an expert on Czech history.

The pair of ducats is placed in an elegant wooden box whose lid is decorated with the personalities of the ruling couple symbolised by chess pieces. The package also includes an illustrated certificate of authenticity with an accompanying word written by the author.