Anniversary CZK 5,000 banknote enters circulation; exchange at CNB offices starts on Tuesday
The Czech National Bank (CNB) will issue a 2023 version CZK 5,000 banknote with a special additional print tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September 2026. The issue commemorates the 100th anniversary of the commencement of operations of the National Bank of Czechoslovakia, the first independent central bank of Czechoslovakia.
A total of 200,000 banknotes with the additional print have been produced. The banknotes will be available only in exchange for Czech banknotes of the corresponding value at the cash offices of the CNB’s branches in Prague, Brno, Hradec Králové and Ostrava. The exchange is limited to a maximum of three anniversary banknotes per person.
The exchange will start on Tuesday 22 September 2026 and continue while stocks last. The CNB’s cash offices will be open on working days from 7.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Access to the cash offices at all CNB branches will be via the main entrances to the CNB buildings. Information boards and leaflets have been prepared for members of the public. The CNB has also published an instructional video demonstrating the exchange procedure. The video is available on the CNB’s website and its YouTube channel (in Czech only).
“By issuing this anniversary banknote, we are commemorating 100 years since the commencement of operations of the National Bank of Czechoslovakia, which laid the foundations of modern central banking in our country. I believe it will appeal not only to collectors, but also to people interested in the history of our currency and Czech banking,” says CNB Bank Board member Karina Kubelková.
The anniversary banknote has the same dimensions, design and other parameters as the standard 2023 version CZK 5,000 banknote in circulation and is legal tender in the Czech Republic. It differs from the standard banknote in having a special additional print consisting of foil with nano effects hot-stamped on the banknote.
The foil has a silver metallic design with variable colour effects that change depending on the viewing angle and the angle of incident light. The main motif of the nanostructure is the CNB’s special logo marking the 100th anniversary of the commencement of operations of the National Bank of Czechoslovakia, designed by graphic designer Jan Solpera, who also designed the lettering on Czech banknotes. The additional print also features two portraits of the first President of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, and a QR code linking to the CNB’s webpages dedicated to the anniversary.
Members of the public will also be able to purchase a unique presentation sleeve designed to hold the anniversary banknote. A total of 30,000 sleeves have been produced. The sleeve, priced at CZK 100 including VAT, will be available at the same cash offices, with purchases limited to one per person. Payment can be made in cash, by payment card or by instant payment via a QR code.
The exchange of the anniversary banknotes will follow the same procedure as a standard cash transaction at a CNB cash office. Cash office staff will verify the authenticity and validity of the banknotes presented and then issue the corresponding number of anniversary banknotes with the additional print.
Key information on the anniversary banknote and presentation sleeve
Banknote face value: CZK 5,000
Version: 2023 with an additional print
Issue date: 22 September 2026
Print run: 200,000
Exchange limit: maximum of three banknotes per person
Method of payment: exchange only for Czech banknotes of the corresponding value
Number of presentation sleeves: 30,000
Price of presentation sleeve: CZK 100 including VAT
Purchase limit: one per person
Method of payment: cash, payment card or instant payment via a QR code
Distribution: exclusively through the CNB’s cash offices (Prague, Brno, Hradec Králové and Ostrava)
Anniversary: 100 years since the commencement of operations of the National Bank of Czechoslovakia, the CNB’s predecessor
Jaroslav Krejčí
CNB Spokesperson