CNB issues gold coin featuring the city of Plzeň
The Czech National Bank has ceremonially unveiled a gold coin with a face value of CZK 5,000 featuring the city of Plzeň. Made from pure gold, the coin weighs half a troy ounce and is decorated with a collage inspired by buildings in the Plzeň municipal heritage site. It goes on sale on 26 May 2026.
“The Plzeň municipal heritage site is an exceptionally valuable part of the Czech cultural heritage. The new CNB gold coin pays tribute to the city’s history and architecture and the importance Plzeň has held for centuries in the cultural and economic development of the Czech lands,” said CNB Bank Board member Karina Kubelková.
The final design was selected in a competition entered by 16 leading medallists and artists. The Committee for the Assessment of Designs for Czech Money awarded the first prize and recommendation for implementation to the design submitted by sculptor Zbyňek Fojtů for his elaborate collage of Plzeň’s most important monuments. An expert adviser, Karel Zoch, Head of the Heritage Protection Department at Plzeň City Hall, was also involved in judging the entries. The experts’ decision was subsequently endorsed by the CNB Bank Board.
“The winning design impressively captures Plzeň’s historical character and remarkable architecture,” said Bank Board member Karina Kubelková. “I particularly appreciate the sensitive artistic treatment, thanks to which the coin is not only a valuable collector’s item, but also an artistically significant reminder of this important municipal heritage site,” she added.
The obverse side of the coin features, on the left, part of the Renaissance town hall on náměstí Republiky (Republic Square). The heraldic animals from the large national coat-of-arms – the Czech lion at the top, the Moravian eagle in the middle and the Silesian eagle at the bottom – are situated in the centre of the coin. To the right of the heraldic animals is part of the Municipal Library building on Bedřich Smetana Street. The reverse side of the coin features St Bartholomew’s Cathedral on the left and part of U Červeného srdce House on náměstí Republiky on the right. In the upper part of the coin, a fragment of sgraffito plasterwork is depicted on the left, with the text “MESTO PLZEŇ” above it, while the year of mintage “2026” is located on the right.
The CNB is issuing the coin in normal quality (2,600 pieces) and in proof quality with a polished field and a matt relief (5,500 pieces). Each coin is minted from 999.9 purity gold. The coin weighs 15.55 g and is 28 mm in diameter and 1.8 mm thick. The standard quality coin has a milled edge and the proof quality coin a plain edge. The coins were minted for the CNB by the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou. The selling price exceeds the face value, reflecting production costs and the current price of gold. The coin goes on sale on 26 May 2026.
Plzeň municipal heritage site
The royal city of Plzeň was founded in 1295 by Wenceslas II at a strategic location at the confluence of several rivers and on an important trade route to Regensburg and Nuremberg. The historic core of Plzeň is an exceptionally valuable example of a Gothic planned town with a regular street grid and the extensive náměstí Republiky, which was among the largest in Europe. The Church of St Bartholomew, today a cathedral, became the dominant feature of the square, while the town hall dating from 1559 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statia is an important Renaissance monument. The Baroque period in Plzeň is recalled, for example, by the bishop’s palace and buildings designed by Jakub Auguston. In the second half of the 19th century, the city’s appearance was transformed by rapid industrial development, which brought new Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau buildings decorated, among other things, with sgraffiti by Mikoláš Aleš.
Jaroslav Krejčí
CNB Spokesperson
