The paper mill in Velké Losiny is on the gold coin

Velké Losiny (Šumperk) - The Czech National Bank today presented a gold coin featuring the motif of the national cultural monument, the Velké Losiny paper mill, in its premises. The coin is part of a new cycle of Cultural Monuments of Technical Heritage, which will showcase ten technical heritage monuments from both Czech and Moravian regions on coins by September 2010. The coin has a nominal value of 2500 crowns, but collectors will be able to acquire it for about twice that amount. The central bank has issued a total of 5000 pieces in both regular and premium quality.
"I believe that the general public pays less attention to technical monuments. But they certainly document the development in the Czech lands and our history. We selected the monuments based on cooperation with experts and specialists," said Zdeněk Tůma, governor of the Czech National Bank, to ČTK today. This year, the central bank will also issue a coin dedicated to the Clementinum in Prague. In the following years, among others, a water mill in Slupi, a chain bridge in Stádlce, a brewery in Plzeň, and the Michal mine in Ostrava will follow.
The coin dedicated to the paper mill in Velké Losiny features a composition of heraldic animals on its obverse - in the center is the Czech lion in a period depiction, to the right is the Moravian eagle, and to the left is the Silesian eagle in its current form. The reverse side displays a historical engraving scene from a Renaissance hand paper mill. The coin weighs 7.78 grams and has a diameter of 22 millimeters. Its author is Luboš Charvát.
"One must use some attribute on the coin that embodies that monument. I studied the history of Velké Losiny in books, seeking a composition. I chose the motif of handmade paper production, as it was done in the past," the coin's author told ČTK today.
Eva Dvořáková from the National Heritage Institute welcomed the new coin series. "From the CNB's side, it's a significant achievement already because technical monuments are somewhat sidelined in people's consciousness. The cycle is a great promotion of technical heritage. For example, we create various promotional materials, but a coin is a coin," Dvořáková said today at the vernissage.
The director of the paper mill, Blanka Dittrichová, also values the coin dedicated to her establishment. "It's a great honor for us, but I think the paper mill deserves it. It's continually improving, and we will continue that," she said. She mentioned that the paper mill is striving for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Whether it will succeed should be known next year.
The paper mill in Velké Losiny is the oldest still-operating hand paper mill in Central Europe. It is also remarkable as an architectural baroque-classical complex from the 18th and 19th centuries, during which it experienced the greatest prosperity. It was established at the end of the 16th century by Jan younger from Žerotín. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that hand paper has been produced there continuously for 400 years.
In the past, the CNB issued gold coins as part of the cycle Ten Centuries of Architecture, reminding the public of significant Czech monuments of various architectural styles.