The first Czech gold ducats were minted by Charles IV, the "Father of the Homeland." When the Jagiellonians took the Czech throne, the figure of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of the Czech lands, was depicted for the first time. The gold of the ducats was carefully controlled, and they were among the most reliable coins of their time. Each ducat's weight was set at 3.49 g, and the gold was 986/1000 in purity. Over time, various multiples appeared, from two to one hundred ducats, and ducats remained legal tender for several centuries. When Finance Minister Alois Rašín considered how to mark Czechoslovakia's 5th anniversary in 1923, he decided to revive the historical tradition of minting Czech gold coins. The St. Wenceslas ducats of the First Republic were trade coins that not only preserved their value but were also given as gifts for important events, such as a child's birth, graduation, or even a wedding.

 

A century later, the Czech National Bank prepared modern Czech ducats, once again featuring St. Wenceslas. The winner of the art competition was the academic sculptor Vladimír Oppl. The expert committee particularly praised the "excellent portrait of St. Wenceslas with a helmet on the reverse side and the perfect depiction of the Czech lion." The two-tailed heraldic beast is accompanied by lime leaves, as well as the inscription ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA (CZECH REPUBLIC) on the obverse of the ducat. The relief of the coin also features the famous chant: SVATÝ VÁCLAVE, NEDEJ ZAHYNOUTI NÁM I BUDOUCÍM. (ST. WENCESLAS, DO NOT LET US PERISH).

 

Saint Wenceslas (Svatý Václav), born around 907 in Prague and died in 935 in Stará Boleslav (Central Bohemia), was the Duke of Bohemia (924–935). A martyr and saint (936; feast day on 09/28, and since 2000, also the Czech State Day). He belonged to the Přemyslid dynasty. Raised in Christian faith by his grandmother, St. Ludmila, he was known for his piety and kindness. Wenceslas worked to spread the Western (Roman) rites of the Church in Bohemia and sought closer ties with Germany (in 929, he became a vassal of King Henry I of Germany). He was murdered by his brother, Boleslaus I the Cruel. He is considered the patron saint of the Czech lands and Prague, and his crown symbolizes the Kingdom of Bohemia.