Gold 1/4 oz coin Hurvínek - 100th anniversary proof

Hurvínek is celebrating his incredible 100th birthday! The legendary puppet appears on a gold coin from the Czech Mint to mark the occasion.

• Hurvínek: Daddy, when was I born?

• Spejbl: On May 2, Hurvínek.

• Hurvínek: Wow, what a coincidence, on my birthday!

The wooden boy named Hurvínek is popular among children and adults, especially for his witty banter with Mr. Spejbl. The relationship between the two puppets has undergone a number of changes over the course of a century. Spejbl, who entered the world in 1920, started out as an annoying and overly clever petty bourgeois who lectured everyone, while Hurvínek, who was born in 1926 and was initially called Spejblátko, was a city braggart. Their interaction gradually gave rise to a family relationship, and Hurvinek became the unruly son of a bachelor. The rascal, who plays pranks on his caring father, enriched the plays with a tried-and-true intergenerational conflict, and suddenly the stage was set for phenomenal success... But what about Mr. Spejbl's female counterpart? Where did the mother of the wooden family go? At the S+H Theater, it is said that Spejbl used to be a great womanizer and that his child was born to a woman of ill repute who disappeared into thin air. In reality, however, puppeteer Josef Skupa did not want to caricature the role of the mother, so he did not create her. Even after 100 years, Hurvínek's only mother remains a linden tree...

On the reverse side of the coin, which is the work of medalist Ludmila Kracíková, DiS., you will find Hurvínek accompanied by his faithful canine friend Žeryk. Next to the inscription HURVÍNEK – 100 LET (Hurvínek – 100 Years), the composition of the reverse is completed by lines in the background that evoke the puppet's control strings. Since the coins from the Czech Mint are issued with the license of a foreign issuer, namely the island of Niue, their obverse side bears the necessary attributes – a portrait of King Charles III, the nominal value of 10 DOLLARS (NZD), and the year of issue, 2026.

The mintage is only 100 pieces – one for each year of Hurvínek's existence.