The world's bullion coins tend to be dedicated to strong national symbols and the "Czech Lion", the first coin of its kind to be minted for the Czech market, is no exception. The silver coin of the Czech Mint with the year 2022, whose weight is two troy ounces, is minted in an unusual piedfort design - this means that it is twice as thick as traditional coins.

The best-known story of how the exotic lion became the symbol of the Czech country is the tale of Bruncvík - a mythical prince who travelled as far as Africa to help the king of the beasts in his battle with the sleigh. A more plausible explanation is offered by the old chroniclers. According to them, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa rewarded Prince Vladislaus II with a royal crown and a new crest animal, which replaced the existing eagle in 1158. The lion represented the virtues of chivalry, strength and courage that Vladislav had shown during his conquest of the city of Milan in the Emperor's service. And how did the heraldic beast get its second tail? Again, heroism played a role. In 1204, King Ottokar I helped Emperor Otto IV in his fight against the Saxons, and that is why the Bohemian lion was given a second tail, which distinguished it from the beasts of other nations and gave it a unique prestige. However, medieval authors liked to colour their narrations and are not a reliable source of information. Therefore, one thing is certain - the first truly documented Bohemian lion was a symbol of the Přemyslid dynasty and appears on the equestrian seal of Vladislaus Henry from 1203. The lion was elevated to the emblem of the whole country by Ottokar II, the Iron and Gold King.

All variants of the bullion coin were reworked in 2022, but the main idea remained the same. The reverse side is dominated by the Czech lion in an unusually realistic rendition with the St. Wenceslas crown on its head. The obverse side presents the eagle, which is a synthesis of the St. Wenceslas, Moravian and Silesian birds of prey. The author of the relief is traditionally the medal maker Asamat Baltaev, DiS. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the licence of a foreign issuer, which is the island of Niue, their obverse side bears its necessary attributes - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2022.

Invest in a smart, stylish and VAT-free way! In our offer you can also find other variants of the bullion coin "Czech Lion" made of gold and silver. This allows you to easily regulate how much money you invest in precious metals.

The Czech Mint has extensive experience in the production of bullion coins. Since 2017, it has been minting gold and silver "Czech Lion" coins, which are popular among investors not only in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also in Hungary, Germany, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada and the United States. The largest online distributor of precious metals in the world has also requested them for its offer. One of the reasons why the Czech Mint's investment coins have so quickly taken their place alongside their famous global counterparts (such as the Austrian Wiener Philharmoniker, Canadian Maple Leaf, South African Krugerrand, American Eagle, Chinese Panda or Australian Kangaroo) is their low mintage. While investment coins of foreign mints are minted in the millions, the issue limit of coins minted in the Czech Republic is calculated in hundreds or thousands. This fact increases the appreciation potential of the investment and adds a collector's dimension to it. Thanks to the artistic processing, the coins will also serve perfectly as an original and valuable gift - for graduation, for a wedding, to the birth of a child or just for fun...