2019 - Niue 50 NZD Platinum One-Ounce Coin UNESCO - Villa Tugendhat - Proof

Czech UNESCO Heritage
The eighth platinum coin of the Czech Mint from the cycle dedicated to Czech UNESCO monuments differs from previous issues. It presents a modern building - Villa Tugendhat.

Villa Tugendhat in Brno is a central work of functionalism and represents the realization of all its ideas. It was built to order of Greta and Fritz Tugendhat between 1929 and 1930 according to a design by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is considered one of the fathers of 20th century architecture. You can observe a number of architectural solutions (the giant windscreens can be sunk into the floor to blend in with nature) and advanced technologies (the building's support system consists of steel columns). The villa has also set new standards for modern living. The interior was equipped with elegant and sensitively designed furniture, while several preserved pieces have become a cultural monument. The villa is the first building of modern architecture in the Czech Republic and only the fourth in the world which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The comfort it has provided to its owners stuns even 90 years later...

The reverse side presents a view of the villa, which responsed to the spectacular bourgeois ornamentation of the previous generation. Platanus leaf that grows in the villa's garden is another element of the reverse side of the coin. Negotiations on the division of Czechoslovakia were held under this tree in August 1992. The composition is surrounded by silver chain of pearls together with an inscription VILA TUGENDHAT IN BRNO. The obverse side of the coin, which is common to the whole platinum series, is dominated by a collage composed of architectural elements of various Czech buildings registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The obverse side also bears the attributes of the island of Niue, which provides the Czech Mint with a foreign license to issue its own commemorative coins. The attributes are the name and the portrait of Elizabeth II, the year of the issue 2019 and the nominal value of 50 DOLLARS (NZD).

Each coin is accompanied by a special certificate of authenticity. The complete collection of all twelve platinum mintages can be stored in a wooden etui, which can also be found in the offer of the Czech Mint.