You know the Czech lion well from the bullion coins of the Czech Mint. In 2024, it appears on a one-kilogram silver medal which is not just any medal - it is incuse one.

On classic medals or coins, you will find a relief that protrudes from the coin face. So-called incuse mintages differ from these at first glance because their motif is deeply embossed below the level of the coin face. Such special coins were produced in ancient times, the Middle Ages, and also in the 19th and 20th centuries. Sometimes these were unintentional defective mintages. For example, during the reigns of the Habsburg Emperors Franz II and Franz Joseph I, when machine coinage was introduced, it happened that a correctly minted coin got stuck in the machine. When another was inserted into the press, it was stamped on one side and the coin was stuck on the other side.  This defective mintage had the same motif on both sides - one in positive and one in negative. At other times, the incuse mintage was done deliberately. The motif of the dollars minted by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was recessed below the level of the coin face on both sides to prevent wear and to give the money a longer life. However, these coins did not circulate for long - when the Spanish flu pandemic hit, people feared dirt and microorganisms. In the 21st century, intaglio minting is rare - it gives coins and medals a novel look and is considered a technological and artistic rarity.

The dominant feature of the incuse medal from the studio of medal maker Asamat Baltaev, DiS., is the crowned head of the Czech lion. The patriotic motif, which is underlined by the patina, is processed in a truly original way - it is made up of bezels or small polygonal areas.

The issue run is only 300 pieces, with each copy hand-numbered on the edge.