2024 - Niue 1 NZD Silver Coin On Wheels - Praga V3S Truck - Proof

On Wheels 2024

The versatile Praga V3S truck, whose most important feature was its unrivalled off-road capability, was built for the Czechoslovak army, but its civilian variants also shone. The twenty-second silver coin of the Czech Mint from the Na kolech (On Wheels) series pays tribute to it.

After the Second World War, the Czechoslovak army was dealing with problems with its fleet of vehicles. The number of vehicles was insufficient and many of them were in poor technical condition. Maintenance was made more difficult by the fragmentation of types - in addition to obsolete pre-war vehicles, soldiers were also using booty machines or vehicles supplied as part of post-war aid. Stocks were replenished by slightly modified road trucks of domestic origin, but these were unable to meet the considerable demands of the army. It was only the designers of the Praga company who managed to do so, and their car entered the history of motoring under the abbreviation V3S - military three-ton special. The prototype was completed in early 1952, and when military trials began, it quickly became clear that the Vejtřaska was one of the best trucks of its time. It was rugged and tough, but also simple, and therefore both reliable and easy to repair. Thanks to its specific design with three axles positioned high above the axis of rotation of the wheels, it had incredible off-road capabilities. For example, it could climb a 40 centimetre high vertical obstacle. Thanks to its all-wheel drive and low kerb weight, it didn't struggle even in muddy ground. The load capacity was three tons off-road and five tons on the road. However, the car also had numerous shortcomings - it was very noisy, difficult to handle and very uncomfortable. The driver had to have a lot of strength, experience and courage. In the summer his right leg was burnt by the engine, in the winter his left leg froze off the door. Winter starting resembled a shamanic ceremony and involved, for example, burning newspapers stuffed into the intake. The army, however, was satisfied and gradually increased its orders. The basis was made up of barrows and box versions. Mobile workshops, radio cars, ambulances and rocket launchers were built. Although the universal Vejtřaska was created for the needs of soldiers, it was subsequently used in civilian life - in construction, forestry, mining and many other industries. Series production, which began in 1953, lasted until 1990. Total production is estimated at 130 000 cars. Thousands of them - cranes, rollers or, for example, fecal trucks - can still be found on the roads today...

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker MgA. Martin Dašek, is dominated by a depiction of a Praga V3S truck from a three-quarter view. The additional motif of the relief is a faecal teat. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the licence of a foreign issuer, which is the island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary elements - the national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2024. Following the title of the collector's cycle, the perimeter of the obverse side consists of segments of wheels of various means of transport.

An integral part of the coin is a spectacular packaging in the form of a cardboard book which contains accompanying text and period photographs.