200 Korun Battle of Hradec Králové

The Battle of Hradec Králové — known in German as Königgrätz — lasted a single day, July 3, 1866, yet effectively ended Austrian dominance over the German states in under seven hours of fighting. Prussia's needle gun, capable of being reloaded in the prone position, gave its infantry a decisive rate-of-fire advantage over Austrian troops still required to stand to reload their muzzle-loaders. Roughly 44,000 casualties were suffered between both sides before Austrian forces broke.

The battle's 150th anniversary prompted this issue. Austria ceded Holstein and withdrew permanently from German affairs within weeks of the defeat.