From the series of gold commemorative coins issued by the Czech National Bank (ČNB) dedicated to the castles of the Czech Republic (2016–2020), I am offering for sale the eighth issue of the series – Švihov Castle, released on 1 October 2019.
This gold commemorative coin of 5,000 CZK in Standard (business strike) quality is part of the prestigious ten-coin series and features Švihov Castle – one of the most significant late Gothic water castles in Bohemia, rising above the Úhlava River valley near Klatovy.
Švihov Castle, first documented in 1375, was magnificently rebuilt between 1480 and 1489 by the royal judge Půta Švihovský of Rýzmberg – the same nobleman who commissioned the reconstruction of nearby Rabí Castle. The renowned late Gothic architect Benedikt Ried contributed to the completion of its fortifications. Conceived from the outset as an artificial island protected by two water-filled moats fed by the Úhlava River, with its core surrounded by four corner bastions, Švihov ranked among the most sophisticated defensive systems in Central Europe of its time. During the Thirty Years' War the castle withstood two Swedish sieges; Emperor Ferdinand III nevertheless ordered its demolition. The Czernin family managed to avert the decree's full execution, though the castle subsequently served only as a granary. Švihov gained international fame as a filming location for the beloved fairy-tale Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973) and today is protected as a national cultural monument administered by the National Heritage Institute.
The obverse features the interior of the Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with its altar, with heraldic animals from the Great Czech State Emblem in the upper section of the coin field. The reverse depicts a view through a late Gothic portal onto the castle courtyard. The coin was struck at the Czech Mint (Česká mincovna, a.s.).
Struck in fine gold Au 999.9 with a weight of 1/2 oz (15.55 g), this coin was issued in a strictly limited mintage of 3,200 pieces in Standard quality, making it an attractive combination of precious metal investment value and numismatic rarity.
The coin is housed in its original plastic capsule and red ČNB presentation box, as shown in the photographs. It has never been removed from the capsule. The lot includes the original ČNB certificate card and the designer's card with signature.
The coin and certificate card will be dispatched promptly within 2–3 business days of payment being received, via fully insured registered mail through Česká pošta (Czech Post).
International dispatch is available upon prior arrangement with the buyer regarding postage costs.