50 Czechoslovak koruna #149

Front

Saint Anežka Česká (Saint Agnes of Bohemia, 1211–1282), daughter of King Ottokar I of Bohemia and Queen Constance of Hungary, who founded a hospital and convent in Prague, declining marriage proposals from European royalty to devote herself to charitable works. She was canonized in 1989. The Sacred Heart emblem appears at center left with flames, a symbol associated with her religious devotion and the Poor Clares order she established in Bohemia. This was the first banknote series issued by the newly independent Czech Republic after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993.

Back

The coat of arms of the Czech Republic featuring the quartered shield with the Bohemian Lion (upper left and lower right), the Moravian Eagle (upper right), and the Silesian Eagle (lower left). The arms are displayed on an open book, symbolizing law and learning, with decorative elements representing Czech national identity and statehood. The text 'SE TŘESTA PODLE ZÁKONA' (punishable according to law) appears as an anti-counterfeiting warning.

History

This 50 korun note was part of the emergency currency issued in early 1993 immediately following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1, 1993. Existing Czechoslovak banknotes were overstamped with Czech validation stamps. This note carries the date '1993' and was a transitional issue, quickly replaced by new Czech koruna series later in 1993-1994 as the Czech National Bank established its own currency. The choice of Saint Agnes reflected Czech national and religious heritage, and her recent canonization in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution period made her a particularly resonant figure for the newly independent nation.