2018 - Niue 10 NZD Set of two Gold Coins Golden Rose from the Pope - Proof

The Pope awards the honored rose made of pure gold by the best masters in the field since the time of the legendary Charles the Great when he wishes to express his respect and favor. The set of two gold coins of the Czech Mint recalls two such roses, which are located in the Czech Republic.

Especially exceptionally pious people have been gifted with golden roses in the past. This was the case of Maria Anna of Savoy, the last crowned Czech Queen, who received a rose from Pope Gregory XVI in 1832, and later she gave the Empire jewel to the Cathedral of St. Vitus at Prague Castle. At present, however, especially unique places are prized by golden roses. Only seven basilicas around the world one of which is located in the Czech Republic can boast the papal decoration. The Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Cyril and Methodius is part of the Cistercian Velehrad monastery, which is one of the oldest in our country. The rose was dedicated to the basilica by Pope John Paul II. in 1985 on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the death of St. Methodius. He highlighted the importance of Slavic scholars and the famous pilgrimage site, which has been the religious center of our country since the Great Moravia.

The commemorative set was designed by the medal maker Maria Filova, DiS. She dedicated the reverse sides of the coins to individual religious buildings, which are the Velehrad Basilica and the St. Vitus Cathedral - and, of course, the golden roses that are in their possession. The obverse sides then present the decorative elements characteristic of both the sanctuaries and the necessary attributes of the island of Niue, which provides the Czech Mint with a foreign license to coin its own commemorative coins. They are the name and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the year of the issue 2018 and the nominal value of 10 DOLLARS (NZD).

The pair of coins, together with the illustrated certificate of authenticity, are stored in a luxurious wooden etui.