617) Czech Lion 2017: Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Czech Republic in collaboration with Niue Islands, under licence from the New Zealand Mint in 4 variants: $1 (encapsulated), $1 (Numbered Blister Pack), $25 and $80 issued from July 2017 onwards:

617) Czech Lion 2017: Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Czech Republic in collaboration with Niue Islands, under licence from the New Zealand Mint in 4 variants: $1 (encapsulated), $1 (Numbered Blister Pack), $25 and $80 issued from July 2017 onwards:

For other interesting posts on Coins issued by the Czech National Bank, please visit the following links:

1) Czech Lion - Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Czech Republic from July 2017 onwards

2) Czech Lion - Gold Bullion Coins issued by the Czech Republic from July 2017 onwards

3) Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Klaudyan Map or "Klaudyanova Mapa"

For the first time ever, the Czech Republic has issued Silver Bullion investment coins: 

 Why Silver Bullion Coins are good investment:

Coins with the mark "bullion coin" are made of precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum etc.) and serve primarily as an investment and a means of preserving value.

Silver is an undervalued investment tool, and the number of conservative investors who prefer it to gold is growing.

Besides the medium to long-term potential of the evaluation, it also offers the unique advantages of industrial metal.

The favourable price of silver coins (unlike commemorative coins) does not primarily capture collectible, artistic or historical value. Their "premium" - the difference between the price of precious metal on the exchange and the selling price of the coin - corresponds to this fact.

The "Czech Lions" join the ranks of other Bullion coins:

The Reverse of the "Czech Lion" Silver bullion coin against a panoramic view of Prague Castle 

The "Czech Lions" are among such  "investment coins" minted by the Czech Mint and  are the first coins of its kind embossed in the Czech Republic.

Introduced at the Investor Prague Show, the Czech Lion joins the ranks of the American Eagle, the Chinese Panda, the U.K.’s Britannia, the Australian Kangaroo, and several other government-guaranteed bullion programs.

The Czech Lion also joins a more exclusive club:

Well-designed, low-mintage bullion coins that, in their first (and in some cases, only) year of issue, which ultimately end up fetching a premium as collectibles.  As such these coins also can be categorised as “semi-numismatic bullion coins.”

The coins have been minted with the assistance of Niue Islands:

The Czech Republic wanted to issue a bullion coin with Queen Elizabeth II's effigy , with a few Czech motifs on the Obverse, to resemble the Sovereign Gold/Silver bullion coins for wider acceptability world-wide.

 Niue Islands (which has no coining mint) and which usually requisitions the help of various mints world-wide to mint its commemorative/circulating coins, has come to the aid of the Czech Mint and  for a first time helped create this coin for the Czech Republic, which has a mint (the Česká Mincovna) but so far did not have a bullion program.

The Czech Mint’s first bullion coin is the inaugural issue in the “Czech Nationhood” series. 

Why is the Czech Lion coin exceptional?

• The Czech Lion bullion coin  meets the worldwide recognized "bullion coin" investment standards. 
• The favorable price of this coin does not take into account collectible, artistic or historical value, which is likely to be far higher than its initial purchasing cost.
• The price of this coin will depend primarily on the spot price of silver. the
• The coin is easily tradable, among other things thanks to a buyback opportunity.
• The easily recognizable motif of the coin has a strong connection with the Czech Republic.

                    The Reverse Design of the Silver Bullion coin 

The Reverse design of the silver Bullion coin which comes in four variants ($1- encapsulated, $1, $25 and $80). On the lower periphery is the name of the issuing country - "CESKA REPUBLIKA" (meaning "Czech Republic").

The motifs on the  Reverse  of this investment coin were inspired by the traditional symbols of the Czech Republic - the two-tailed lion, the St. Wenceslas crown and the flaming Saint Wenceslas Eagle - which contributes to the easy identification of the "Czech Lions" on the domestic and world markets.

The shield/emblems represent the three Czech lands of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia.

The two-tailed Bohemian lion is depicted in a naturalistic style to the right of the field, reclining with its shoulders to the left and its tails to the right.

The double tails have multiple historical explanations, the essence of which is that they convey more than the usual amount of courage.

               An image of the coin Reverse standing on its edge

                  The Obverse Design of the Silver Bullion coin 

The Obverse of this coin carries Niue’s traditional Obverse — but with a difference:

the Queen's effigy designed by Ian Rank-Broadley has been raised above center to make room for a linden branch across the lower portion of the coin,  along with the legends "NIUE ISLAND, ELIZABETH II, 2017 and 1 DOLLAR" (NZD) on the outer periphery.

The New Zealand Mint  has given a license to the Czech Mint to coin its own coins.

The Czech national tree, the linden, is heavily referenced in mythology and is especially long-lived, with some in the country being more than a thousand years old.

 The designer of this silver bullion coin is the late Jaroslav Bejvl Sr., a world-renowned designer of coins, medals, and crystal chandeliers. Bejvl passed away last year at the age of 75, after creating the design but before transferring it to a relief model. A young medalist named Asamat Baltaev stepped in to handle the final steps of the process.

The coin comes in four variants: 
The specifications of each of these coin are:

 Coin 1: Denomination: $1 (Encapsulated); Weight: 31.1 grams (1 Oz.); Metal Composition: .999 Silver; Diameter/Size: 37.0 mm; Mintage:500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Issuer: Czech Mint in collaboration with Niue Islands.

Coin 2: Denomination: $1; Weight: 31.1 grams (1 Oz.); Metal Composition: .999 Silver; Diameter/Size: 37.0 mm; Mintage: 9,500 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Issuer: Czech Mint in collaboration with Niue Islands. Remarks: Numbered Blister Pack.

Coin 3: Denomination: $25; Weight: 311.0 grams (10.0 Oz.); Metal Composition: .999 Silver; Diameter/Size: 75.0 mm; Mintage: 200 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Issuer: Czech Mint in collaboration with Niue Islands. Remarks: Blond Wood Box & COA (Certificate of Authenticity).

Coin 4: Denomination: $80; Weight: 1,000 grams (1.0 Kilogram); Metal Composition: .999 Silver; Diameter/Size: 90.0 mm; Mintage: 200 pieces; Year of issue: 2017; Issuer: Czech Mint in collaboration with Niue Islands. Remarks: Blond Wood Box & COA (Certificate of Authenticity).

One troy ounce of silver is one of the world's most popular investment choices!