Czech Lion 2020

The collector´s variant of the investment coin is stored in a special packaging that is numbered. The schedule of issuance counts 1000 pieces.

Investment coins impress collectors who know that a sophisticated portfolio cannot do without precious metals. However, the Czech Mint issued the Czech Lions, which are investment coins with a foreign license and which can also boast artistic and collectible value. Moreover, they are minted in an unusual design "piedfort". This means that a silver coin weighing two troy ounces differs from the one-ounce coin not only by its double weight but also by its double thickness.

The legend of Bruncvík is the most famous story of how the lion became a symbol of the Czech lands, but the old chroniclers offer a more reliable explanation, according to which Emperor Frederick I. Barbarossa rewarded Prince Vladislaus II. a royal crown and a new heraldic animal - a silver lion on a red field that replaced the eagle in 1158. The beast represented the virtues of the knight, the strength and courage that Vladislaus had shown when conquered the city of Milan. And how did the heraldic animal come to its second tail? Again, heroism played the main role. King Ottokar I of Bohemia helped Emperor Otto IV. in the fight against the Saxons in 1204, and the Czech lion received a second tail that distinguished it from the beasts of other nations and ensured it a unique prestige. However, medieval authors liked to color their stories and therefore they can not be considered a reliable source of information. The first truly documented Czech lion was a symbol of the Přemyslid dynasty and appears on the equestrian seal of Vladislaus Henry in 1203. The lion was raised the emblem of the whole land by Ottokar II of Bohemia, the Iron and Golden King.

The Czech Mint reworked all variants of investment coins in 2020, but maintained the idea. Apart from the Czech lion in an untraditionally realistic presentation, the reverse side of the silver coin presents two more symbols of Czech statehood - the St. Wenceslas crown, which rests on the head of a two-tailed beast, and an eagle on shield which is a synthesis of St. Wenceslas, Moravian and Silesian birds of prey. The medal maker Asamat Baltaev, DiS became the author of the relief. The obverse side bears the attributes of the island of Niue, which provides the Czech Mint with a foreign license to mint its own coins. These attributes include the portrait and the name of Queen Elizabeth II, the year of the issue 2020 and the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD). All this is supplemented by linden branches.

The silver coin set stored in a numbered packaging represents an original and valuable gift, but also a collectible item.