Set of two silver coins St. Vitus treasure - Relics of St Adalbert selective gold plating proof

Set of two silver coins St. Vitus treasure - Relics of St Adalbert selective gold plating proof

Stock state
June 2025
Date of issue
June 2025
Mintage
500 pcs
Estimated price
4,390 CZK
including VAT

Product description

The fourth set of two silver coins from the Czech Mint's free series dedicated to St. Vitus' Treasure commemorates the significance of the relics of St. Adalbert.

When St. Wenceslas acquired a relic from the shoulder bone of St. Vitus in the 10th century, he probably had no idea that this was the beginning of the history of one of the greatest cathedral treasures in Europe. The St. Vitus rotunda became the home of the St. Vitus Treasure. Prince Wenceslas had it built at Prague Castle, where the cathedral of the same name was later built. The diverse collection of breathtaking liturgical objects of inestimable value was expanded by the Přemyslids, the Luxembourgs, the Jagiellonians, and the Habsburgs. It included decorated reliquaries, monstrances, embroidered robes, coronation jewels, and much more. The remains of St. Adalbert, the second bishop of Prague, became an integral part of the treasure. Although he was a staunch propagator of the Christian faith, he did not succeed in ridding the Czech lands of transgressions that were contrary to church teachings, such as the slave trade. Therefore, he left the country and escaped the massacre of his Slavník family. However, his life as a missionary was not long. While attempting to evangelize the pagan Prussians – among other things by cutting down their sacred oak trees – he was ritually murdered by them in 997. The remains of the holy martyr then found their way to Bohemia. The St. Vitus Treasure contains not only Vojtěch's rings, crosses, comb, miter, gloves, and robe, but also his skull. However, it is still uncertain whether it is the real one, as two others are kept in Gniezno and Aachen...

The two-part set is the work of academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů. While the reverse side of the first coin is dedicated to a bust of Saint Adalbert, the second reverse side features the saint's personal items – an ivory comb, a cross, and a detail of the border of his glove. An additional motif in both cases is a Gothic rosette. As the license to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is provided by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse sides of both coins bear its necessary attributes – the state emblem, the nominal value of 2 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2025. The composition of the obverse sides is supplemented with a decorative motif of a bishop's mitre.

Both silver coins in the set are embellished with selective gold plating.

Specifications

Code
76767-711
Issuer
Niue
Nominal value
2x 2 NZD
Author of the obverse
ak. soch. Zbyněk Fojtů
Author of the reverse
ak. soch. Zbyněk Fojtů
Numbered issue
No
Certificate
Standard
Material
Silver
Fineness
999
Weight
62.2 g
Diameter
37 mm
Packaging
Black paper case
Capsule
Yes
Czech Mint
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