Troja tolars worth 100, 500 and 1000 as animal motifs instead of original portraits of state or important personalities were issued by the Prague Zoo on the occasion of its 90th anniversary this year.

The commemorative sheets have the form, security features and dimensions of the banknotes, and the State Printing House of Securities used the art designs of the academic sculptor Štěpán Kotrba for them.

Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the protection of endangered animal species in the places of their natural occurrence, in so-called in situ projects.

Commemorative sheets in the form of animal banknotes were printed for the Prague Zoo by the State Printing House of Securities.

The obverse of the individual leaves depicts popular animals at the Prague Zoo – the sea lion Melon, the Gulab elephant and the male gorilla Richard.

“These ‘banknotes’ were created for the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Prague Zoo and, in addition to its visitors and friends, they are also intended for collectors. For me personally, it is important not only that they represent our animal celebrities, but above all that the proceeds from their sale are intended for the protection of endangered species. “ says the director of the Prague Zoo Miroslav Bobek.

Three commemorative sheets with animal icons of the Prague Zoo form a collection with uniform numbering. “Apart from fans of the zoo, the original edition will also please collectors. The printed matter has a full-fledged security design with the use of protective elements of ordinary Czech banks, ie the watermark and fibers visible only under UV light.

They are stored in gift plates, “adds the director of the State Printing House of Securities Tomas Hebelka.

The edition is limited to 2000 pieces and is available on the Prague Zoo website and at eshop.stc.cz.

The protective plates are made of offset paper with a laminate finish and contain three cases for commemorative sheets in the form of banknotes.