Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are not just bedtime stories. With their depth, imagination and timeless moral messages, they appeal to children and adults and have lost none of their relevance even after almost two centuries. One of Andersen's best-known works is The Snow Queen, which is commemorated by a silver coin from the Czech Mint's literary series.

Hans Christian Andersen's immortal fairy tale tells a story of self-sacrifice and the power of friendship. These virtues are embodied by the girl Gerda, who sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue the boy Kaj, whose heart and mind have been taken over by the fearsome Snow Queen. The fearless Gerda defies the cold, the witch and the robbers and finally finds her beloved friend. Although he does not recognise her, the power of her pure love reminds Kai of who he once was and what Gerda means to him. The spell is broken and the two children set off towards a hopeful spring... Like every good fairy tale, the story of the Snow Queen symbolises the struggle between good and evil. However, in addition to the obvious adventure, it also contains deeper allegorical meanings – the loss of innocence in adolescence, the search for oneself and alienation from loved ones. It points out that kindness, courage and faith in goodness overcome all obstacles.

Medal designer MgA. Petra Čánská dedicated the reverse side of the coin to a portrait of the beautiful but cold Snow Queen. Her icy power is captured not only by the ubiquitous snowflakes, but also by her blue-coloured flowing hair. Below the portrait there is another image of the Snow Queen leading the enchanted Kai to her kingdom. The obverse side of the coin is a showcase of Andersen's most famous fairy tales – small scenes reminiscent of The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, The Brave Tin Soldier, The Emperor's Nightingale, The Princess and the Pea, and The Little Mermaid. ‘The motif of children holding hands at the bottom of the composition is inspired by the cover of one of Andersen's books,’ reveals the author. As the Czech Mint's coins are issued with a foreign licence from the island of Niue, they also bear the island's national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue, 2025, on the obverse side.

Andersen's Little Mermaid will be featured on another commemorative coin.