Gold coin 5000 Kč 2026 Plzeň proof

The eleventh gold coin with a nominal value of 5000 CZK from the Czech National Bank series dedicated to urban conservation areas in the Czech Republic showcases the beauty of Plzeň. The coin is minted in the highest proof quality.

Plzeň was founded by decision of King Wenceslas II in 1295. At that time, it was called Nová Plzeň (New Plzeň), as the original Plzeň – today's Starý Plzenec (Old Plzeň) – stood nearby. Why did the monarch decide to build a completely new city instead of developing the existing settlement? That is not certain. Perhaps because of its excellent location near the confluence of four meandering rivers, where the Radbuza and Mže rivers provided natural protection. The basis of the medieval urban design was a checkerboard layout, which allowed the city to develop in the following centuries. Thanks to this perfectly thought-out concept, Plzeň became the largest and most important Czech metropolis after Prague and Kutná Hora... The central element of the generous square, which was one of the largest in Europe, was the parish church, on the site of which the current Gothic Cathedral of St. Bartholomew with the highest church tower in the country was later built. However, this is not the only dominant feature of the city – one cannot overlook the Gothic Franciscan monastery, the Renaissance town hall, the Baroque Bishop's Palace, the Neo-Renaissance building of the West Bohemian Museum, or the less conspicuous but nevertheless very valuable complexes of houses built in the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau periods. It is no wonder that since 1989, the historic center of the city has been a Municipal Heritage Reserve...

The design by academicsculptor Zbyněk Fojtů won the Czech National Bank's art competition. The expert committee praised the elaborate collage of the most significant monuments in the urban conservation area. On the obverse side, you will find the Renaissance town hall on Republic Square and the Municipal Library on Bedřich Smetana Street. The reverse side is dominated by St. Bartholomew's Cathedral and the Red Heart House on Republic Square.

All Czech coins – commemorative and circulation coins – are produced at the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou.