Fourth issue from the series Czechoslovak presidents by the Czech Mint has seen the light of day. New artwork made of sterling silver will take us to the recent history of our nation, which meant several decade long period of darkness. One of the initiators of this miserable post-war era was president Klement Gottwald, whose character is the mintage dedicated to.

Klement Gottwald was actively involved in politics from an early age – being a Social Democrat in Bratislava, he soon after having joined the party became editor of the party newspaper “Hlas lidu” (“the Voice of People”) and later of the magazine “Pravda” (“the Truth”). At the age of 31, in 1927, he was already elected General Secretary of the Communist Party, which was "the extended hand" of the Soviet executive and forcibly implemented  the Stalinist model of government in the Czechoslovak Republic. The purges in the Communist Party took place since 1950, and executions of nearly two hundred party representatives, including the one of the first chairman, Rudolf Slánský, Gottwald`s rival were their result. Klement Gottwald died just five days after the funeral of his political model, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, on 14 March 1953.

Although this is a very controversial figure in our history, it has its unquestionable place within the series of silver medals Czechoslovak presidents. Successful collection presenting the cross-section of Czech real life won the hearts of collectors not only with its attractive topics, but also with a brilliant workmanship, backed by the doyen of Czech medallists, by the academical

 sculptor Jiří Dostál. His charismatic artistic expression is reflected in a portrait of the first working-class president Klement Gottwald on the obverse side of the medal, which is completed with the inscription “KLEMENT GOTTWALD, NASTOLENÍ KOMUNISTICKÉHO REŽIMU“ (“KLEMENT GOTTWALD, ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMUNIST REGIME”)and the years 1896-1953. The reverse side is formed by a map of Czechoslovakia, which is surrounded  by walls, contemporary national symbol and the five-pointed star, whose one arm symbolically points at the east, and reflects so the former climate controlled by Stalinist dictatorship. Inscriptions on the reverse side of the medal are “PREZIDENT ČESKOSLOVENSKÉ REPUBLIKY“ (“PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC“)and 1948-1953. Interesting topic and masterful realization of the medal made of sterling silver will decisively stand out in your numismatic collections!