20 korun Czechia (2000) Year Two Thousand

in the centre the lion - Czech Coat of Arms; along the top edge: • ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA • (Czechia); along the bottom edge year of issue: 2000

in the centre a fragment of astrolabe mechanism: in the bottom left part in two lines a face value: 20 Kč (KORUN ČESKÝCH - Czech korun); along the edge repeated eight times inscription: ROK 2000 (year 2000)

plain

12 I 2000

in circulation

Vladimír Oppl (monogram in the end of a line crossing the central point towards 5 o'clock position on the reverse)

Bižuterie Česká Mincovna a.s. (Jewellery Czech Mint JSC), Jablonec nad Nisou (mint mark below lion's paws on the obverse)

2000

10 015 065

23 000 in annual boxed sets

The lion has been a symbol of the Czechs for nearly 800 years. It derives from the medieval Premyslid dynasty. The peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 and the rise of the Czechia re-established the dynastic lion to the national Coat of Arms. According to the rules of the heraldic art every piece of the Arms should be presented in a way that expresses the militancy and prowess. An intensive parliamentary debate was concerning especially the lion's male attribute. The heraldic art prevailed and the lion took the pose of full combat readiness.