Silver coin 200 CZK Birth of Jan Jessenius proof

The third and final silver coin 200 CZK of the Czech National Bank in 2016, is dedicated to one of the most outstanding personalities of our science. In an extraordinary gloss in quality proof is reflected the story of Jan Jessenius, whose 450th birth anniversary we commemorate this year.

Jan Jessenius was truly a Renaissance man. He studied philosophy and medicine and became fond of the ideas of humanism, antiquity and resistance against tyranny. He maintained the health of the burghers, the nobility, the prince elector as well as the emperors. He became the dean and later the rector of prestigious university learning. Besides the scientist he was also a world traveler and was interested in politics. That, however, became fatal for him - in the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants sided with the Estates Uprising and after the Battle of White Mountain fell into disfavor. As one of the 27 rebellious Czech lords he was sentenced to death.

The competition of the Czech National Bank was attended by 21 artists. They selected the draft from the leading medal maker and academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů. He charmed the expert committee with an excellent portrait of Jan Jessenius on the reverse of the coin and an original symbolic solution on the obverse. It consists of the autopsy of the body, the cover sheet "Anatomiae Pragae" the Treatise on Jessenius Prague autopsy and a hangman's sword, which ended Jessenius life.

It discusses the memorable Prague autopsy, the first public autopsy in the Czech lands, which significantly contributed to the understanding of human anatomy.