Michal Mine in Ostrava on a Gold Coin

The Czech National Bank is today putting into circulation a CZK 2,500 gold coin depicting the national heritage site Michal Mine in Ostrava. The obverse side of the coin shows a composition of heraldic animals and a mining machine as an example of the internal equipment of the mine. The reverse side of the coin features the characteristic hoist tower of Michal Mine.

“This gold coin completes the Industrial Heritage Sites cycle, in which the CNB has reminded the public of unique technical heritage sites in the Czech Republic since 2006,” said CNB Bank Board Member and Chief Executive Director Pavel Řežábek.

The gold coin has a face value of CZK 2,500 and its mintage is limited to 3,800 normal quality coins and 9,200 proof quality coins. It was designed by the sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů, who also designed the fourth coin of the cycle, featuring the Water Mill at Slup, and the sixth coin, depicting the Brewery at Plzeň.

Michal Mine at Ostrava was the first fully electrified mine in the Czech Republic. It is also exceptional because only limited construction changes have been made to it since its last reconstruction in 1915 and therefore its current state is very similar to what it was 95 years ago. The entire site was intentionally left by heritage preservation authorities in its original state so it looks like the people who worked here departed only yesterday, leaving everything as it was, including dirty walls, worn railings and stairs and flaking paint. Michal Mine was declared a national heritage site in 1995.

In selecting the heritage sites for the ten-coin cycle, great emphasis was put on their diversity and on representing various regions. The gold coins gradually issued over 2006–2010 have depicted the Hand-Paper Mill at Velké Losiny, the Observatory at Prague Klementinum, Ševčiny Mine at Příbram-Březové hory, the Water Mill at Slup, the Chain Bridge at Stádlec, the Brewery at Pilsen, the Elbe Sluice under Střekov Castle, the Wind Mill at Ruprechtov, the Hammer Mill at Dobřív and – the last coin in the series – Michal Mine at Ostrava.

The Czech National Bank will stay with the theme of technical heritage for the next five years. A new cycle of gold coins, dedicated to bridges in the Czech Republic, will start next spring. The first coin will depict the oldest preserved bridge in our country, located in Písek.

More information on technical parameters

Marek Petruš, CNB spokesman