The Czech Republic has historically been one of Europe’s most prosperous countries as well as culturally significant; it was once home to many influential artists such as composer Bedrich Smetana and novelist Franz Kafka. Since independence from being part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I in 1918, it has undergone extensive political transformation along with periods of rapid economic growth. The current Czech Republic was founded in 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into two separate countries Slovakia and Czech Republic. Later it joined what would later become known as the European Union. Read along to learn about the new Czech 1000 Korun commemorative banknote.
For the majority of the 20th century the country went by the name Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and it was a satellite state of the former Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and also the dissolution of Czechoslovakia the new Czech Republic adopted its own national currency called the Koruna (crown) in 1993.
The Czech 1000 Korun
It’s now 2023 so that means that the currency has been active for 30 years now. Because of this the Czech National Bank released a commemorative 1000 Korun banknote to celebrate 30 year lifespan. The design is pretty much the same as the current 1000 Korun banknote. It’s colored in purple, blue and white. The obverse side contains a linden leaf in green-to-gold OVI, a tree with exposed roots, an open book, and the historian Frantisek Palacky.
František Palacký was born in 1798 and he was a Czech historian, educator and statesman. He was known for his vast knowledge of the history of his country, publishing many works about the Czech lands and its inhabitants. Palacký is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Czech historiography, who laid down the foundations for all future study of history from a national perspective. His political activities went hand in hand with his scholarly work; he is especially noted for his efforts to establish an autonomous kingdom within Austria-Hungary.
However what separates this 1000 Korun from the previous generation is that on the lower left hand corner is a CNB 1993 (30) 2023 to symbolize 30 years. In addition to a box with 1000 written inside. Its reverse side shows a female eagle, the Kromenz chateau, a stylized tree in the shape of a P, and the Czech coat of arms. What do you think about this commemorative release? Do you think the Central Bank should have gone all out with a brand new design?
Sources:
Thumbnail: CNB
