This is the third gold coin in the Czech National Bank's ten-coin cycle entitled Municipal Heritage Reserves, issued on 31 May 2022.
The Municipal Heritage Reserves series progressively charts the most significant historic city centres in the Czech Republic — Mikulov, a South Moravian town at the foot of the Pavlov Hills with a remarkable convergence of aristocratic, Christian and Jewish heritage, enters the series as issue number three.
Mikulov lies at the south-western edge of the Pálava region, directly on the Moravian-Austrian border, and this position gave the town its centuries-long character as a place of cultural crossings. The first written record dates to 1173. In 1249 the Liechtenstein family received the town as a fief; in 1575 they were succeeded by the Dietrichsteins, who transformed Mikulov into a grand aristocratic seat. Cardinal Franz von Dietrichstein rebuilt the Gothic castle into a lavish Renaissance château with Italian frescoes and gilded stucco work, and assembled here what was then the largest noble library in Central Europe, comprising over ten thousand volumes; in the castle's outer courtyard he established the first theatre in the Bohemian lands. Mikulov was also home to one of the most significant Jewish communities in Moravia — the local rabbinical school and cemetery, with thousands of tombstones, rank among the most important in Central Europe. The historic centre was designated a municipal heritage reserve in 1982.
The obverse of the coin depicts the Mikulov château in the left section; at the centre is a stylised composition of heraldic animals — the Bohemian lion at top, the Moravian eagle in the middle, and the Silesian eagle at the bottom; to the right, the statue of Pomona from the medieval fountain on the town square. The nominal value "5 000 Kč" appears above the Bohemian lion; the legend reads: MĚSTSKÉ PAMÁTKOVÉ REZERVACE · ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA. The reverse presents a collage of the most prominent architectural landmarks of Mikulov's town square: from left, the Dietrichstein Tomb, the Upper Synagogue, and the distinctive sgraffito burgher house At the Knights with its corner four-sided oriel. The text MĚSTO and the vertical inscription MIKULOV appear at the upper rim; the year 2022 is positioned above the Dietrichstein Tomb; the designer's initials "FZ" are placed at the right edge of the coin.
The coin is struck in fine gold (Au 999.9/1000) with a weight of 15.55 g; the mintage of the Proof issue is 8,900 pieces. The combination of high purity, a restricted mintage, and an exceptionally rich iconographic programme — château, Renaissance fountain and unique Jewish heritage united in a single composition — makes this a distinctive piece for both CNB gold coin collectors and investors.
The coin is in perfect condition, housed in a transparent plastic capsule. Included in the delivery: CNB red plastic case with velvet inlay and CNB certificate card.
The coin and certificate card will be dispatched promptly within 2–3 working days of payment being credited to the bank account, via fully insured registered post (Czech Post).
Delivery within the Czech Republic; international shipping available upon prior arrangement and payment of postage.
Technical Parameters
Issuer: Czech National Bank (CNB)
Face value: 5,000 CZK
Series: Municipal Heritage Reserves — 3rd issue
Date of issue: 31 May 2022
Mint: Czech Mint, Jablonec nad Nisou
Designer: Zbyněk Fojtů, academic sculptor
Weight: 15.55 g
Diameter: 28 mm
Fineness: Au 999.9/1000
Quality: Proof
Edge: Plain
Mintage (Proof): 8,900 pcs
Packaging: Plastic capsule + CNB case + CNB certificate card