Silver coin 200 Kč Gregor Mendel stand

The silver coin of the Czech National Bank with a nominal value of CZK 200, which is minted in quality standard, is issued on the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Gregor Mendel.

Gregor Mendel, a Silesian naturalist, monk and later abbot of the Augustinian monastery in Stary Brno, was involved in experiments with heredity since 1856. He chose the pea for his scientific research. The reason he chose this common plant was simple - peas have easily observable characteristics and can be easily artificially fertilised. Over the course of ten years, Mendel grew up to thirty thousand specimens, which were hybridized with each other. He observed, for example, the shape and colour of the seeds, which could be round and square or yellow and green, and over time discovered the basic laws of inheritance. Mendel's contemporaries ignored the groundbreaking theory, which could be applied to plants and animals, but it was rediscovered in 1900. The new science was initially referred to as Mendelism, but soon another term - genetics – began to be used.

The design by the academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů won the art competition of the Czech National Bank. While the reverse side of the coin is dominated by a portrait of Gregor Mendel with glasses, the obverse side presents pea pods. As Mendel was still experimenting with the crossing of bees, you will find a hexagonal composition on both sides of the coin, which evokes the honeycomb. Another striking motif is the graphic representation of Mendel's third law of independent selection.

The Czech Mint in Jablonec nad Nisou is the exclusive producer of Czech coins - both commemorative and circulation coins.