2019 - Niue 1 NZD Silver coin On Wheels - Jawa Motorcycle - proof

On Wheels

The JAWA 500 OHV “Winch” was founded in 1929, which means in the same year as the company that produced it. The legendary brand and its first motorcycle celebrate the 90th birthday in 2019. Therefore the Czech Mint introduced the third silver coin from the cycle On Wheels on this occasion.

The engineering company of František Janeček originally dealt with arms production. However, there were a large number of similar arms factories in Czechoslovakia and the peace between the two world wars caused a sharp drop in demand. Therefore, Janeček's company had to take a new direction and started to produce motorcycles. The development of a new machine would be too demanding for the arms factory and a foreign license proved to be an ideal solution. They chose the Wanderer company. The terms of the transaction were advantageous - the German company from Chemnitz was also hit by the downturn in military orders, so it provided the Czech company not only with Wanderer K 500 motorcycle license from 1927, but also with a complete production facility. The Saxon production was closed and František Janeček founded a new company on 17 August 1929. Its name was created by an elegant combination of the names Janeček and Wanderer and JAWA introduced its first mass produced motorcycle at the Prague Motor Show in the same year. The official name of the machine was called the JAWA 500 OHV, but the motorists soon entitled it Rumpál (Winch) - perhaps according to the cardan shaft that transmitted the engine to the rear wheel. Although Rumpál suffered from technical imperfections, František Příhoda traveled with it from Pilsen to Africa respectable distance of 9,000 kilometers in 50 days in 1933. Only 1,016 pieces of winches were built between 1929 and 1933 as the motorcycle was a luxury item during the Great Depression. But the young company was not discouraged - its other machines should be smaller, simpler and more affordable. Red motorcycles decorated with JAWA letters soon achieved world success.

The commemorative coin was made by MgA. Martin Dašek, who is not only an expert medal maker, but also a great lover of historical motorcycles. The faithful representation of Rumpál on the reverse side was accompanied by an inscription JAWA 500 OHV 1929 together with a detail of the wheel. Similarly, the obverse side of the coin bears the perimeter of the wheels of various means of transport. Since the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the license of a foreign publisher, the island of Niue, the obverse side still bears its necessary elements, which means the name and the profile of Queen Elizabeth II., the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of the issue 2019.

The coin is stored in a spectacular packaging containing a thematic treatise and period photographs. The complete collection of coins can be stored in a practical collector´s box which can also be found in the offer of the Czech Mint.