Pillars of the Slovak Nation – this is the theme of the sixth Ducat series from the Czech Mint in 2026, created for Slovak collectors and investors. The gold ducat features Cyril and Methodius, who symbolize the Slovak faith.

The people who inhabited Great Moravia in the mid-9th century AD were already familiar with Christianity. They had been introduced to it by missionaries coming from Bavaria, but Prince Rostislav of Moravia had them expelled because, alongside the faith, they were spreading the dangerous political influence of the East Frankish Empire. Rostislav therefore sought someone independent—someone who could explain the Scriptures to his subjects clearly and without ulterior motives. He turned to the Byzantine Emperor, who granted his request and sent missionaries to distant Central Europe. Two brothers from Thessaloniki, Greece, arrived in Great Moravia in the year 863 AD and brought with them much more than just religion. Cyril, who was a philosopher, and Methodius, who was a lawyer, also imparted to the Slavs the culture, traditions, values, and education associated with Christianity. They created the first Slavic script, Glagolitic, and the liturgical language Old Church Slavonic, into which they translated the liturgical books necessary for conducting worship services. Through their efforts, they won the hearts and minds of both common people and local princes, who adopted their faith as their own and passed it on to future generations. Much to the chagrin of Bavarian priests, Christianity, spread in an accessible form, did indeed help limit the influence of the expanding East Frankish Empire, and the arrival of the “Apostles of the Slavs” thus ranks among the most significant events in the history of early medieval Europe…

The obverse of the ducat, designed by medalist Branislav Ronaie, features portraits of the Slavic Apostles with halos, surrounded by the inscription VIEROZVESTCOVIA SV. CYRIL A METOD and the year 863. The reverse side features a pair of pillars, which refer to the theme of the Ducat series; a Slavic linden tree, into which a double-barred cross is embedded; the Slovak Tatra Mountains, dominated by the peak of Kriváň; Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, the patron saint of Slovakia; and a dove, the symbol of Christianity.

The commemorative coin is issued in a limited mintage of just 100 pieces and adheres to the specifications defined by the First Republic’s St. Wenceslas ducats.