500 korun – Birth of poet Karel Jaromír Erben

On 2 November 2011 the Czech National Bank is putting into circulation the first CZK 500 commemorative silver coin in a cycle featuring important personalities of Czech culture. This coin marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the writer Karel Jaromír Erben. The coin is minted from an alloy containing 925 parts silver and 75 parts copper and is issued in two versions, normal quality and proof quality, which differ in surface treatment and edge marking. Proof-quality coins have a highly polished field, a matt relief and a plain edge with the inscription “ČESKÁ NÁRODNÍ BANKA * Ag 0.925 * 25 g *”. Normal quality coins have milled edges. The coin is 40 mm in diameter, weighs 25 g and is 2.55 mm thick. As with any other coins, deviations in diameter of 0.1 mm and thickness of 0.15 mm are allowed. Upward deviations in weight of 0.26 g and silver content of 1% are permitted.

The obverse side of the coin depicts a bouquet of meadow flowers with the two-line text "KYTICE Z POVĚSTÍ NÁRODNÍCH" (the title of Erben’s collection of ballads “A Bouquet of National Legends”) placed across the stems of the flowers. Written around the left-hand, bottom and right-hand edge of the coin are the name of the state in Czech “ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA” and the denomination and abbreviated monetary unit “500 Kč”. These texts are separated by a dot. The mark of the Czech Mint is located above the letter “B” in the word “REPUBLIKA”. The reverse side of the coin features a portrait of Karel Jaromír Erben. The unclosed text “KAREL JAROMÍR ERBEN”, bounded by the years “1811” and “2011”, is written around the outer circle. The mark of the designer of the coin Jaroslav Bejvl, consisting of the letters “J” and “B”, is located near the right-hand edge of the portrait.

Each coin comes with a green catalogue card containing a description and the relief of the coin.