Silver coin 500 CZK Start of issuance of Czechoslovak money proof

We celebrate not only the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Czechoslovak currency in 2019, but also the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovak tender. The Czech National Bank commemorates this event by issuance of a silver coin in quality proof with a nominal value of 500 CZK.

The name of old currency has survived in Czechoslovakia as the only successor state to the Habsburg monarchy. New Czechoslovak crowns were created after the Austrian-Hungarian banknotes provided with Czechoslovak stamps. Their press rushed - especially because of the large number of counterfeit stamps - and the first issue suffered from a number of imperfections. The tender was visually and technically inconsistent, as the works of several Czech, Austrian and American artists and engravers were printed in two foreign and six domestic printing houses. Yet a number of state banknotes had high artistic value. One hundred years after their creation, we especially admire those designed by the world-famous Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha, despite the fact that the artist had only two days to create a banknote!

Both sides of the commemorative coin are dominated by cut-out from the hundred-crown coin of Alfons Mucha. “ Luboš Charvát's proposal won the first prize and recommendation for realization due to perfect representation of the obverse and reverse sides of the mentioned state banknote. In particular, the Commission appreciated the embossed transposition of Mucha's drawing of a female portrait, ” the representatives of the Czech National Bank said. It is interesting to note that Mucha portrayed his own wife.

All Czech coins are minted in the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou.