Silver half-a-kilo medal Statutory town of Děčín stand

Děčín is the seventeenth statutory city to appear on the Czech Mint's medals struck from one half kilo of pure silver.

The first written mention of Děčín as a town dates back to 1283, but its history began much earlier. It has ever been a key transport crossroads, which it owes mainly to the Elbe River. An important trade route passed through the Elbe ford in the 10th century. In the 16th century, the town owned a wharf, shipyards and ferries, which constituted a substantial source of income. The 19th century there was not only the rapid development of steam navigation, but also the opening of the Prague-Dresden railway line, which secured Děčín's status of an industrial town. The importance of Elbe navigation was strengthened in the 20th century - thanks to the construction of modern infrastructure, the lowest Czech town became our most important port... Děčín is not only an anchorage, a junction of railway lines and a crossroads of several road routes. It is also the centre of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and its dominant feature is a magnificent castle built on a rock above the Elbe River.

The obverse side of the medal, which is the work of the medal maker Štěpánka Doležalová, is dominated by the castle in Děčín, which served as a luxurious mansion and a defensive provincial fortress. The composition of the obverse side is supplemented with a detailed aerial view of the city centre. The reverse side of the medal bears a map of the Czech Republic with the statutory towns marked.

In total, only 48 half-kilogram medals will be produced - each of them is hand-numbered on the edge and stored in a luxurious wooden case.