Ducat series ČR 2023 - Battle of Marchfeld set of four medals proof

Ducat series ČR 2023 - Battle of Marchfeld set of four medals proof

Stock state
Sold out
Date of issue
2023
Mintage
123 pcs

The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint

Product description

The traditional Ducat series of the Czech Mint pays tribute to Ottokar II of Bohemia in 2023. A comprehensive set of four gold coins is dedicated to different parts of his life.

Contemporaries of Ottokar II of Bohemia bestowed the monarch with the admiring title of "the Iron and Gold King". The first part of the nickname, earned by the heavily clad knights, symbolized the king's strength. The second attribute expressed his wealth, which came from the silver mines in the Jihlava region. Ottokar II was an excellent politician and warrior. At the height of his fame as the fifth king of the Přemyslid dynasty, he ruled over Bohemia, Austria, Styria, Carinthia and Carniola. Although this mighty confederation reached as far as the Adriatic coast, the most powerful man of Central Europe dreamed in vain of the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. When his rival Rudolf of Habsburg was elected King of Rome, he denied Ottokar the right to the vast Alpine lands so that he could seize them himself. The Bohemian king crusaded against him and on 26 August 1278 they clashed in a battle on the Moravian Field. The strength of Ottokar's cavalry was unprecedented, however, as a knight of honour he underestimated the enemy, who did not hesitate to resort to a sneak attack from ambush. Despite Rudolf's orders, Ottokar was ignominiously killed and his body was displayed in public so that there could be no doubt that he had indeed fallen. His remains were then moved many times. Only Charles IV, who held the legacy of his Přemyslid ancestors in high esteem, had his great-grandfather buried in the new royal tomb in St. Vitus Cathedral. Ottokar's bones rested here under a tombstone with a statue of a knight in armour and a crown on his head…

 

  • Ducat – Bracteate
  • Double ducat – King
  • Five ducat – Battle
  • Ten ducat – Tomb

 

The obverse sides of each ducat commemorate the life and death of Ottokar II of Bohemia. The ducat is decorated with the king's coin - bracteate, where a two-tailed Czech lion appeared for the first time. The double ducat bears the king's portrait - a half-figure inspired by the statue at the Powder Tower. The five-ducat bears the king preparing for battle - a knight on horseback taken from the Gelnhausen Codex. The ten-ducat presents the king's tumba – a decorated tomb. The additional motif in all cases is a rosette from the Golden Crown Monastery, founded by the king. The reverse side, which is common to all four coins of the Ducat series, presents the monarch's relics. His skull, which was dissected in the battle on the Moravian Field, his funeral crown and the Latin inscription taken from this jewel - HIC SUNT OSSA OTACARI INCLITI REGIS BOHEMIE QUINTI (here are the bones of Ottokar, the famous fifth King of Bohemia). All this is the work of the medal maker Mgr.Petr Horák.

The four gold coins are placed in a luxurious wooden etui supplemented with a special certificate of authenticity that presents the fate of Ottokar II of Bohemia.

Specifications

Collectors set
Code
42308-611
Issuer
Czech mint
Author of the obverse
Mgr. Petr Horák
Author of the reverse
Mgr. Petr Horák
Numbered issue
No
Certificate
Yes
Material
Gold
Fineness
986 / 1000
Weight
62.83 g
Packaging
Dark wooden case
Capsule
Yes
Czech Mint
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