St. Vitus treasure

The set of two gold coins of the Czech Mint, which commemorates the significance of the relics of St. Ludmila, is the third issue of a free cycle dedicated to the St. Vitus Treasure.

The St. Vitus Treasure, which was built over the centuries by the Přemyslids, Luxemburgs, Jagiellonians and Habsburgs, is one of the largest temple treasures in Europe. It consists of a collection of historical objects whose liturgical, artistic, craft and material value is incalculable. The origins of the treasure date back to the 10th century and are directly linked to the reign of St. Wenceslas, who acquired the relic from the shoulder bone of St. Vitus. The prince deposited it at Prague Castle, where he had the rotunda of St. Vitus built, which was later replaced by the cathedral of the same name... In addition to St. Vitus, the treasure included the relics of many other saints, including St. Ludmila - the first Czech Christian princess and grandmother of St. Wenceslas, who died a martyr's death in 921. Her bones have been repeatedly tampered with over the centuries - they have survived the rampage of flames and unscrupulous thieves. In the middle of the 14th century, a reliquary bust was created to protect them - perhaps by the decision of Charles IV, who held his ancient ancestors in high esteem. Ludmilla's skull was placed in this box of gilded silver. The holy calva has been preserved to this day, although it lacks the facial part, which was artificially separated long ago…

The two-piece set is the work of medal maker Lenka Nebeská, DiS. While the reverse side of the first coin is dedicated to Ludmilla's reliquary bust, the second reverse features her decorated skull. The additional motif in both cases is the rosette of St. Vitus Cathedral. As the licence to issue commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is granted by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse sides of both coins bear its necessary attributes - the national emblem, the nominal value of 10 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2024. The composition of the obverse sides is completed by a scarf and a palm leaf - symbols of Ludmilla's martyrdom.

The edition includes only 200 complete sets.