The sterling standard and five-year plans
With the definitive division of Czechoslovakia at the start of 1993, a new era began for domestic numismatics. The newly established Czech National Bank took over the role of sole issuer and put in place a highly systematic, predictable and transparent regime.
A central feature of the concept is the five-year issuing plan, published well in advance (the current plan runs 2021–2025, followed by 2026–2030). This step is now regarded as a masterstroke of modern central banking. Thanks to rigid planning, strict adherence to the announced limits and the unification of technical parameters, Czech silver commemorative coins have become one of the most liquid and most respected forms of micro-investment in physical silver across Central Europe.
In metallurgical terms, the Czech National Bank introduced complete standardisation on sterling silver of 925/1000 Ag fineness. The remaining 75/1000 is copper — it provides mechanical hardness, resistance to wear, and durability of the minted lustre even on high-relief medallic motifs. Production for the state is carried out exclusively by the privatised Czech Mint (Česká mincovna) in Jablonec nad Nisou.
200 CZK — the backbone of the domestic programme
The 200-koruna silver coins form the volume and thematic backbone of the Czech National Bank's issuing plan. Their strictly unified parameters offer investors a guarantee of certainty:
- Weight: 13.00 g
- Diameter: 31 mm
- Fineness: Ag 925/1000
- Planchet thickness: 2.32–2.35 mm
- Maximum mintage limit: 50,000 pieces (split between BU and proof according to demand)
Thematically they mark round anniversaries of figures, institutions and key events in Czech history. Across the last two five-year plans we see a shift from politically tinged figures towards scientific visionaries, artists, architects and athletes — Mendel, Janský, Kupka, Švabinský, Santini-Aichel, Smetana, the Zátopeks.
500 CZK and the “Famous Means of Transport” breakthrough
Commemorative coins with a face value of 500 CZK are the flagship of the silver programme. The parameters are robust: weight 25.00 g, diameter 40 mm, thickness 2.60 mm, fineness 925/1000. The generous surface allows a precise play of shadow in the micro-relief.
Around 2020 the 500 CZK was devoted to classic state-building themes — for example the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Czechoslovak constitution (designed by Zbyněk Fojtů, 5,500 pieces BU / 10,600 pieces proof). The real breakthrough, however, came with the five-year “Famous Means of Transport” series of 2021–2025:
2021 — Škoda 498 Albatros steam locomotive
The first strike of the series introduced an unprecedented technological innovation: the direct integration of an optical hologram supplied by the Czech company IQ Structures. The hologram gave an otherwise classic silver coin a futuristic, visually dynamic element while also providing strong protection against counterfeiting.
2022 — Jawa 250 motorcycle (“Kývačka”)
The second year used the traditional technology of enamelling. The iconic Jawa 250 received, directly on the silver surface, an unmistakable deep red enamel matching the motorcycle's factory colour. This touch breathed tangible reality into the cold silver and drove demand to extreme levels — at issue, distribution prices started at around 2,990 CZK for the proof and, paradoxically, 3,490 CZK for the standard grade (a price inversion caused by the scarcity of BU pieces).
2023 — Tatra 603
This aerodynamic black saloon represents the peak of Czechoslovak engineering design of the 1960s. Today it trades on the market at a stable ~3,890 CZK.
2024 — ČKD Tatra T3 tram
The fourth piece celebrates a vehicle that dominated public transport in hundreds of cities across the Eastern Bloc and Asia for several decades. The current price at certified dealers is about 3,290 CZK.
2025 — Aero L-39 Albatros
The conclusion of the series was designed by Zbyněk Fojtů (Decree No. 159/2025 Coll.). The mintage reflects the market's accumulated demand: 10,760 pieces BU / 19,240 pieces proof — almost twice as many proofs as BU. Pre-sale prices of around 2,990 CZK promised an immediate sell-out.
The 2026–2030 plan extends the series: Aero 30 (2026), Zetor Z-25 (2027), Praga V3S (2028), Karosa 706 RTO (2029), Škoda 9Tr trolleybus (2030). Demand for the complete set ensures a steady inflow of capital into the market.
100 CZK — an entirely new segment
For the 2024–2030 era the Czech National Bank boldly revived the 100-koruna denomination and created an entirely unprecedented series devoted to key state institutions. Parameters: 9.00 g, ⌀ 29 mm, Ag 925/1000.
A key decision: the whole seven-year series is struck in proof grade only. For these institutional coins, a standard (BU) variant does not exist at all for the first time in history. This step underlines the utmost prestige the state attaches to the offices depicted.
The series plan:
- 2024 — Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office (NSZ), Security Information Service (BIS)
- 2025 — Supreme Court, Customs Administration (designed by Veronika Durová, Decree No. 255/2025 Coll., limit 11,200 pieces)
- 2026 — Police of the Czech Republic, Office for the Protection of Competition
- 2027 — Supreme Audit Office
- 2028 — Supreme Administrative Court
- 2029 — Czech Statistical Office
- 2030 — Office of the President of the Republic (the culmination of the seven-year journey)
Gold commemorative series
Silver coins provide mass availability. Gold commemorative coins form the exclusive investment segment. The Czech National Bank strikes them in 999.9/1000 Au fineness (“four nines”), with mintage limits typically of 15,000–20,000 pieces.
The 5,000 CZK coin (1/2 oz, 15.55 g, ⌀ 28 mm) is a permanent pillar. Series:
- 2011–2015 — Bridges of the Czech Republic (the Gothic bridge in Písek, the Renaissance one in Stříbro, the Baroque one in Náměšť…)
- 2016–2020 — Castles of the Czech Republic (Kost, Bezděz, Bouzov, Buchlov, Český Šternberk)
- 2021–2025 — Urban Conservation Areas I (Cheb, Jihlava, Mikulov, Litoměřice, Kroměříž, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, Moravská Třebová, Štramberk, Tábor)
- 2026–2030 — Urban Conservation Areas II (Plzeň, Jindřichův Hradec, Lipník, Žatec, Nový Jičín, Kolín, Pardubice, Františkovy Lázně)
The 10,000 CZK coins (1 oz, 31.1 g, ⌀ 34 mm) are monumental reminders of historical turning points of the highest calibre. Among the most significant is the array of 2019 issues marking the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak currency and its key figures (Jan Hus, the apostles Cyril and Methodius, the Golden Bull, the founding of Czechoslovakia, Greater Prague). Ottokar II (2028) and Ottokar I (2030) are in preparation.
The return of ducats — a bridge to the First Republic
More than a century after the St Wenceslas ducats of the First Republic, in 2024 the Czech National Bank revived the minting of trade gold ducats without a face value. The step deliberately builds on the stability of the Alois Rašín era and offers the market a product that bridges history and the modern need for investment security.
The plan:
- 2023 — Anniversary St Wenceslas ducat (limited re-issue of 100 pieces, 1923/2023)
- 2024 — Gold Czech ducat with a St Wenceslas motif (launch of Czech National Bank production)
- 2025 — John of Luxembourg: 700th anniversary of the start of gold coin minting (sets of 1, 2, 5 and 10 ducats)
- 2026 — St Wenceslas ducats (a set of 1+2+5+10 ducats in gold plus a set of silver off-metal strikes)
What it all means
The current Czech National Bank era has every attribute that previous systems lacked: a transparent five-year plan, an internationally legible sterling standard, technological inventiveness (hologram, enamel) and a cultural breadth from Mendel to Cimrman. This makes Czech commemorative coins a product of global liquidity rather than a local curiosity.
You will find the current in-stock offer in the Available now overview, and the complete register of all Czech National Bank issues since 1993 in the ČNB 1993+ register.