2019 - Niue 1 NZD Silver Coin Formation of Royal Capital City of Prague - Hradčany - Proof

Hradčany appears on the fourth and last silver coin of the Czech Mint from the miniseries called The Establishment of the Royal Capital City of Prague.

As the name of the district suggests, a significant part of Hradčany is occupied by Prague Castle. The thousand-years-old seat of Czech kings is the largest, still used castle complex of the world. No picture of the Prague skyline can not miss it, mainly due to St. Vitus Cathedral that is located behind its walls. The magnificent tabernacle was built by Father of the Homeland Charles IV. The foundation stone was laid in 1344 and the building was led by the greatest masters of its time - first Matthias of Arras and then Peter Parler. While Matthias was inspired by French cathedrals, Peter wanted to create a building no one had ever seen before. St. Vitus is not only a fascinating example of Prague Gothic, he is also a silent witness of the rise and fall of our country. The cathedral became the place of coronation and the last rest of the Czech kings. Moreover it is home to the Chapel of St. Wenceslas and the Czech Crown Jewels.

The reverse side of the Hradčany coin is dominated by a view of the main facade of St. Vitus Cathedral with a rosette. Academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů added a Latin inscription of HRADTSIN (Hradčany) and the historical emblem of the town. The obverse side is common to the entire miniseries and presents the Prague silhouette (bordered by Prague Castle and Charles Bridge), accompanied by the inscription PRAGA CAPUT REGNI (Prague, Head of the Kingdom). The obverse side of the coin bears the name and the profile of Queen Elizabeth II, the year of the issue 2019, and the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD), which means the attributes of the Pacific Island of Niue that provides the Czech Mint with a license to mint its own commemorative coins.

The complete set of four coins commemorate the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town and Hradčany, and represent an addition to a numismatic collection or an attractive souvenir.