National Heritage Site – Klementinum in Prague – Observatory

Competition conditions - only Czech version
Competition results - only Czech version

On 11 October 2006, the Czech National Bank is putting into circulation the second gold coin from its Industrial Heritage Sites cycle: “National Heritage Site – Klementinum - Observatory”. The coin is minted in two quality versions differing in surface treatment and edge marking. The normal-quality coins have fields and reliefs of the same polish and milled edges. The proof-quality coins, intended for the most discerning collectors, have highly polished fields, matt reliefs and plain edges. The edge of the normal-quality coin is plain. The normal-quality coins and the proof-quality coins are minted from 999.9 purity gold. The coin has a weight of 7.78 g, a diameter of 2 mm and a thickness of 1.65 mm. Similarly as with any other coins, deviations in diameter of 0.1 mm and thickness of 0.15 mm are allowed. Upward deviations in weight of 0.062 g and the gold content of 0.01% are allowed.

The obverse side of the coin depicts heavy rain falling from baroque stylised clouds. The left-hand edge of the rainfall bears the denomination of the coin “2500” stylised into the lines of a measuring cylinder. Located to the right of this rainfall is the abbreviated monetary unit “Kč”. Situated above the baroque clouds are stylised heraldic animals from the large national coat-of-arms. The ring features the unclosed text “ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA” and the name of the cycle “KULTURNÍ PAMÁTKY TECHNICKÉHO DĚDICTVÍ”. The mark of the Czech Mint is positioned on the right-hand side of the coin above the stylised clouds.

The reverse side of the coin features the astronomical tower of the Observatory at Prague Klementinum. The left-hand and right-hand lower edges of the coin feature the year of mintage “2006” divided by the astronomical tower. A stylised astronomical measuring apparatus issues from the top of the tower. The left-hand upper edge of the coin features a stylised comet path from the book “Descriptio cometae” by Tadeáš Hájek from Hájek. The ring of the coin features the description “OBSERVATOŘ PRAŽSKÉ KLEMENTINUM”. The coin was designed by Josef Oplištil, whose mark – the stylised interlinked letters “OJ” – is positioned at the right-hand upper edge of the coin.

Each coin comes with a red postcard-sized catalogue card. The relief of the coin is dry-stamped through gold foil. The text is given in Czech and English. The card is the same for the normal-quality and proof-quality coins.

The Czech National Bank does not sell its commemorative coins to private individuals directly, but through entities licensed to trade in numismatic material.