The Czech Mint pays tribute to the historical couple of Ferdinand I of Habsburg and Anne of Bohemia and Hungary by issuance of the sixth set of two gold ducats from the Royal Couples series.

Maximilian I of Habsburg was an able and far-sighted emperor who used, among other things, marriage policy to achieve his goals. For his grandchildren, he chose partners from the Jagiellonian dynasty - the children of King Vladislaus II of Bohemia. Louis Jagiellon, who succeeded to the Czech throne after Vladislaus's death, married Maria of Habsburg. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary hoped to marry Charles V. Habsburg, but he unexpectedly became King of Spain and found a more suitable bride. Disappointed Anne had to settle for Charles's brother Ferdinand I of Habsburg. But it soon became clear how lucky she was. Unlike Charles, Ferdinand was an educated, kind and entertaining partner. He fell sincerely in love with Anne and their marriage was accompanied by mutual love and respect, which was not common in arranged marriages. When Anne's brother Louis, who had no children, died in the Battle of Mohács, Ferdinand came into the lands of the Bohemian Crown. The Czech nobility, who confirmed his claim to the throne, could not have known  that the Habsburg rule would last for nearly four centuries. Ferdinand did not enjoy popularity - he did not keep his promises and was an advocate of absolutism. Anne, however, was very popular in Bohemia - she was a modest and friendly advocate of humanism, and her help in repairing the St. Vitus Cathedral, which had been damaged by fire, earned her the nickname "Mother of the Nation."

"The Renaissance period favoured portraits, and the faces of both Ferdinand and Anne, which appear on the common obverse side, were therefore well documented. Even verbal descriptions of the couple have survived. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary was short, blue-eyed and red-haired. Ferdinand's distinctive profile which also appeared in some of his descendants and was later considered a Habsburg physiognomic type could not be overlooked,," says academic sculptor Michal Vitanovský. "In the 'marriage market' of European ruling families, the main dowry of Anne of Bohemia and Hungary was the Bohemian royal crown, which is the dominant element of the king's reverse side. The silhouette of the Habsburg double-headed eagle can be seen behind that, and both protagonists of the dynastic marriage are in period dress there. The Queen's reverse side is dedicated to the exquisite Renaissance architecture of the Belvedere in Prague. This summer palace became a monument of love because it was Ferdinand's gift to Anne. The depiction of a solitary pair of figures, again in costumes typical of the highest social level, underlines the intimate, loving relationship between the king and queen," adds the author of the thalers and an expert czech historian.

The ducats are placed in an elegant wooden box with a lid decorated with chess pieces of the king and queen. Inside you will also find an illustrated certificate of authenticity with an accompanying text of the author.