Czech National Bank Issues a CZK 500 Commemorative Silver Coin Featuring the Legendary Czech Jet Trainer, the Aero L-39

The Czech National Bank (CNB) is issuing a CZK 500 commemorative silver coin featuring the legendary Czech jet trainer, the Aero L‑39.

The Czech National Bank (CNB) is issuing a CZK 500 commemorative silver coin featuring the legendary Czech jet trainer, the Aero L-39. The coin features a unique optical see-through element, which allows the aircraft’s silhouette to be seen in three-dimensional space. The coin is available for purchase from 11 June.

This latest silver coin is the fifth and final in the thematic series Famous Means of Transport in this issuance period. “The Aero L-39 symbolises top-tier Czechoslovak aerospace engineering. This legendary aircraft has become both a technical and export icon and marks a significant milestone in Czech industrial history. It has rightly earned its place among the five coins for which we at the CNB chose exceptional technical processing,” said CNB Bank Board member Karina Kubelková.

This is the first coin in the history of the CNB’s numismatic issues to feature an optical see-through element. “If you shine a laser through the coin’s see-through section, you will see the silhouette of two aircraft,” Karina Kubelková highlighted the creative element. She added that the silhouette can also be viewed without a laser by looking through the coin towards a point light source, such as a phone flashlight or pocket torch.

The CNB is issuing a total of 30,000 coins: 10,760 in normal quality and 19,240 in proof quality. The coin is minted from an alloy containing 925 parts silver and 75 parts copper. It weighs 25 grams and has a diameter of 40 mm. It is issued in two versions, normal quality and proof quality. Proof-quality coins have a polished field and a matt relief.

The design of the coin was chosen in an art competition. At the recommendation of an expert committee, the CNB Bank Board selected the design submitted by Zbyněk Fojtů. On the obverse side of the CZK 500 coin, he depicted the front view of the Aero L-39 jet with part of the instrument panel below it, containing three flight instruments. The central flight instrument with an artificial horizon is depicted as an optical see-through element. The reverse side of the coin features two jets in flight and a mirror-reversed depiction of the flight instrument with an artificial horizon.

The coin’s denomination of CZK 500 does not equal the sale price, which is higher and reflects, among other things, the current price of silver, production costs and VAT. The coins were minted by Česká mincovna, a.s., in Jablonec nad Nisou and are available for purchase from selected contractual partners. The CNB does not sell numismatic material directly to the public.

The Aero L-39 silver coin is the fifth in the Famous Means of Transport series. Previous coins in the series feature the Škoda 498 Albatros steam locomotive, the Jawa 250 motorcycle, the Tatra 603 car and the ČKD Tatra T3 tram. More commemorative coins will be issued in the Famous Means of Transport II series from 2026 to 2030. The whole schedule of issuance of coins and banknotes is available on the CNB website.

Aero L-39 jet

The Czechoslovak company Aero Vodochody began developing the new L-39 Albatros jet trainer in the 1960s, building on experience with the L-29 Delfín. The project was led by Jan Vlček in cooperation with the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute. The aircraft was powered by the Ivchenko AI-25 turbofan engine, which was produced under license as the AI-25W at the Motorlet plant in Prague. The first flight took place in 1968 and serial production began in 1971. The Aero L-39 received many accolades, was showcased at the Paris Air Show in 1977 and was successfully exported to many countries. By 1993, nearly 2,800 jets had been produced. The aircraft’s development continued with modernised versions, including the L-159 and the latest L-39NG.