20 CZK #138

Front

Přemysl Otakar I (c. 1155–1230), King of Bohemia from 1198 until his death. He was the second king from the Přemyslid dynasty and secured the royal hereditary title for his family through the Golden Bull of Sicily (1212), making Bohemia a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire. Behind his portrait is a medieval seal showing a ruler enthroned, likely representing the historic seal of the Bohemian kingdom. The note displays 'DVACET KORUN ČESKÝCH' (Twenty Czech Crowns) and the issuer 'ČESKÁ NÁRODNÍ BANKA' with the year 1994.

Back

The Crown of Bohemia (also known as St. Wenceslas Crown), created in 1346 for Charles IV and used for coronations of Bohemian kings. The crown features a distinctive cross on top and is adorned with precious stones. Below it is the coat of arms of the Czech Republic, showing the quartered shield with the Bohemian lion (upper left and lower right), the Moravian eagle (upper right), and the Silesian eagle (lower left). The inscription reads 'PADĚLÁNÍ BANKOVEK SE TRESTÁ PODLE ZÁKONA' (Counterfeiting banknotes is punishable by law).

History

This note belongs to the first series of banknotes issued by the Czech National Bank after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993. The 1993 series was introduced to replace the Czechoslovak koruna and establish the new Czech koruna (CZK). This particular note from 1994 features the signature series designation and was printed by the State Printing Works (Státní tiskárna cenin) in Prague. The series remained in circulation until being gradually replaced by newer designs in the 2000s, with this 20 koruna denomination officially withdrawn around 2008.