Catalog
5 Sokolů T. G. Masaryk
| Issuer | Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Left-facing draped bust of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, first President of the Czechoslovak Republic, rendered in high relief with finely modelled facial features, short hair, and a goatee, in the sculptural style characteristic of engraver Otakar Španiel. The circular legend around the upper field reads '·TOMÁŠ·G·MASARYK·', while the lower field carries the inscription 'PRVNÍ·PRESIDENT / REPUBLIKY·ČESKOSLOVENSKÉ', separated by raised dots. The portrait fills the majority of the obverse field, with minimal inner border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ·TOMÁŠ·G·MASARYK· PRVNÍ·PRESIDENT REPUBLIKY·ČESKOSLOVENSKÉ (Translation: Tomáš G. Masaryk First president of Czechoslovak Republic) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The "5 Sokolů" denomination — named for the Sokol gymnastic movement rather than any conventional monetary unit — was issued as part of Czechoslovakia's urgent need to establish a distinct currency after breaking from Austria-Hungary in 1918. The new republic inherited a chaotic monetary situation and moved quickly to overprint and eventually replace Habsburg-era notes and coins. This brass piece, struck in 1920, belongs to that transitional assertiveness.
Tomáš Masaryk's association with the Sokol movement ran deep; the organization's pan-Slavic, anti-Habsburg ethos had long aligned with his own political project.