The first of the new Seven Wonders of the World is the Roman Colosseum. The Czech Mint commemorates the legendary monument by issuance of a gold coin weighing one-tenth of a troy ounce.

The Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre in the history of the Roman Empire. Ancient Romans – all classes from the emperor to the poor slaves - came to watch bloody spectacles on feast days. People who fought for their lives in gladiatorial games hoped to win their freedom as a reward. These gladiators came from the ranks of prisoners of war, slaves or criminals sentenced to death. They learned to fight in special schools. In order to make the games more varied, some were armed with weapons such as a net and trident, while others had a sword and shield. Sometimes it was a simple man-to-man fight, other times entire reenactments of historical battles were organized in the arena. There are reports of a four-month spectacle involving 10,000 gladiators, as well as naval battles in which the arena was flooded with water from a nearby aqueduct. Not only people died in the arena. A popular performance was the hunting of exotic animals imported from Africa and the Middle East. Wild animals were also often used as a means of collective execution - unarmed convicts were thrown to lions or trampled down by elephants. Early Christians who refused to renounce their faith were killed in this way. An estimated one million people and an equal number of animals have died in the Colosseum since it was opened in 80 AD, while entire species were exterminated for entertainment. However, it was not only an arena of death, but also an architectural marvel that held 50,000 spectators. Although repeated earthquakes and stone thieves have made the Colosseum a ruin, it is still Rome's greatest monument…

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker Ludmila Kracíková, DiS., presents the actual image of the Colosseum, supplemented with the English inscription COLOSSEUM. All the new Seven Wonders of the World appear on the obverse side, which is common to the entire cycle. These are the Brazilian statue of Christ the Saviour, the Jordanian rock city of Petra, the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, the Roman Colosseum, the Indian monument of the Taj Mahal, the Inca seat of Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the foreign license of the island of Niue, they also bear its national emblem, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2023 on the obverse side.

Each coin is sealed in special packaging.

Note: The packaging is covered with foil to prevent damage during transport.