Thousands of people have been queuing outside the Prague branch of the Czech National Bank (CNB) since this morning to get a particular 1,000 CZK coin with an overprint commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Czech crown.
On Wednesday, the ČNB put a particular 1,000 koruna banknote with an overprint to mark the 30th anniversary of the split of the Czechoslovak currency. The banknote, which will also be valid in everyday business transactions, can be purchased for CZK 1,000 at the central bank’s cash desks in Prague, České Budějovice, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, Hradec Králové, Brno, and Ostrava.
The ČNB is circulating 200 000 of the special banknotes
The overprint is on the face of the banknote and consists of the ČNB’s 30th-anniversary logo and the motif of a period stamp from the time of monetary separation. The motif is based on an original engraving of a thousand-crown symbol preserved in the technical archive of the State Printing House of Valuables. In 1993, stamps were used to mark the authentic Czechoslovak banknotes until the new Czech banknotes were printed.
The Prague branch opened at 07:30 on Wednesday, and by that time, a queue stretched for about a kilometer in front of it through Na Příkopě, Panská, Jindřišská, and Senovážná streets almost back to the entrance of the bank. Some queue members reported that they had waited overnight despite the heavy frost.
A queue also formed in front of the ČNB branch in Ostrava. It goes around three buildings and back to the entrance of the CNB. People have been standing here for several hours. They believe that in a few years, the banknote will be worth much more and that they will make a profit. Some have chairs and hot drinks with them. It is now minus four degrees in the center of Ostrava.
There were also people waiting for the banknote in Hradec Králové and Brno
The 1,000 koruna issued on Wednesday is the second circulating banknote with an overprint published by the ČNB. In 2019, it put into circulation a 100-crown banknote with an overprint of the logo of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Czechoslovak koruna. These 100 koruna banknotes were also issued in an issue of 200,000.
“It was a very welcome item with the public, so we decided to repeat it,” said Jan Mayer, director of the ČNB’s Monetary Circulation and Security Department.
No growth in value is expected
“Primarily, it is intended for the general public, but we know there is also interest from collectors and various dealers,” Mayer said. But he doesn’t expect the value of the particular note to grow over time. “Considering the issue run of 200,000 pieces, we don’t think so at all,” he said.
From his experience with the issue of the unique 100 crowns, Mayer concludes that the period of most significant interest in the issued 1,000 crowns will be from Wednesday to Friday. “We expect to finish the last of the pieces early next week,” he said.
The central bank is also commemorating the anniversary of monetary separation with the exhibition “Divided!” which opens to the public on Wednesday at the ČNB Visitors Center and shows the origins and shape of the Czech currency. This year, it also plans to hold conferences for experts and the public focusing on the development of Czech banking or the impact of the 2009 financial crisis on the domestic banking sector.