Jan Lukáš

Life and work

He was born on 5 August 1944 in Prague; his father was the archivist Václav Lukáš (1912–2009). He has made medals since his studies at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. For twenty years he worked as a freelance sculptor and artist. He co-founded the Higher School of Applied Arts in Jablonec nad Nisou, where he also taught. The Czech Wikipedia counts him among the notable medallists of the Czech lands. Besides medals he works in jewellery, in keeping with the Jablonec milieu, which is also home to Česká mincovna, for which he designs medals. The Czech Wikipedia also lists him as an art blacksmith. His works are held in collections of a museum in London, a museum in Wrocław, the Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou and the National Museum in Prague.

Coins and medals

In his own words he specialises in replicas of old coins, above all historical thalers and ducats; his works include, for example, the ducat of Joseph I. His commemorative medals with portraits of Bohemian rulers are particularly popular. He states that he is a member of the Czech National Bank's commission assessing designs for Czech currency. No circulation coins to his design are documented in the available sources.

From the work in the AUREA range

The AUREA range includes two of his medals from the series of royal anniversaries, both 50 mm with certificate: the medal for the 400th anniversary of the coronation of Matthias II (2008), recalling Matthias's coronation as King of Hungary at Pressburg in 1608, and the medal with the portrait of Ferdinand I for 400 years since the defence of Vienna against the Turks. The catalogue gives the year of issue of the latter inconsistently (1999 or 2009).