Coins & identification

Czech hellers 1993–2008: 10, 20 and 50 heller

The independent Czech Republic struck three heller denominations — 10, 20 and 50 hellers — from 1993 until 2008, when heller coins left circulation. Over those sixteen years hundreds of millions were made, so the overwhelming majority of years are worth their metal rather than anything to a collector. Only individual years with a low output figure are of interest; the complete figures from Czech National Bank records are in the table below.

The independent crown kept three heller denominations. Across sixteen years, hundreds of millions were made — and among them a handful of remarkably low production figures.

The independent republic's three denominations

After the federation split, the 10, 20 and 50 h hellers stayed in circulation — small aluminium strikes with the lion on the obverse. The 10 h and 20 h accompanied the crown for ten years, the 50 h for five years longer.

Catalogue comparison of the 1997 twenty-heller: the standard appearance and the pattern strike for later years
Image detail from the supplied catalogue reference
Did you know? — 20 h 1997 The catalogue references capture the twenty-heller's original plaster models, the definitive model for 1993 and the later revision prepared for the years from 1998 on.

Production 1993–2008 per the ČNB

The ČNB records the quantities of coins produced in individual years. It warns itself that the year of production need not always match the date on the coin.
Year of production 10 h 20 h 50 h
1993 141 596 000111 454 016100 484 119
1994 106 430 88489 731 05420 917 795
1995 106 918 33481 410 37830 940 140
1996 61 498 67561 086 14235 904 000
1997 40 969 89851 014 95025 714 943
1998 41 029 67351 138 504 27 600 low mintage
1999 52 430 81020 822 62221 026 810
2000 52 499 94031 468 58515 755 940
2001 41 527 50044 427 50021 427 500
2002 81 499 490 23 490 low mintage 26 249 788
2003 3 025 000 25 000 low mintage 41 551 000
2004 350 low mintage 200 low mintage 935 145 low mintage
2005 0036 817 000
2006 0040 033 000
2007 0035 023 000
2008 00 19 580 low mintage
Total 729 426 554 542 602 441 452 827 360

Source: Czech National Bank — Numbers of base-metal coins produced in individual years.

The lowest documented counts

The year 2004 stands out: the ČNB records a production of just 350 ten-hellers and 200 twenty-hellers. These are exceptionally low recorded counts after both denominations had left everyday circulation — not a regular issue.

For the fifty-heller the minima belong to the production years 1998 (27,600), 2004 (935,145) and the final year 2008 (19,580). For the twenty-heller the years 2002 and 2003, with around twenty-five thousand pieces each, also deserve attention.

The full rarity context — including what the numbers do not say — is under the rare years.

Hamburg and Jablonec

The huge start-up production of 1993 was more than the new Jablonec mint could carry alone — part of the first Czech coins were struck abroad, the hellers chiefly in Hamburg. From the mid-1990s the Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou carried the production; its mintmark appears on the later heller years.

The end of the hellers

The 10 h and 20 h ceased to be legal tender on 31 October 2003, the 50 h served until 31 August 2008. Since then the heller has been only an accounting unit of cashless amounts — and a collecting chapter that has closed.

Continue to the heller overview, the rare years or the Czechoslovak hellers.

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