Silver Coin 200 CZK Issue of Comenius' map of Moravia 400th Anniversary 2024 Proof

Edition of Komenský's map of Moravia

The oldest surviving copy of Komenský's map of Moravia dates back to 1624. The original drawing by Komenský has not survived and is known only as a copperplate print, referred to as type KMM P, from the cartographer A. Goose from Visscher's workshop in Amsterdam.

Jan Amos Komenský worked on the map for ten years from 1614 and it was originally intended to serve as a part of the lost work on the history of Moravia "De Antiquitatibus Morauiae" (On Moravian Antiquities). Komenský based it on Fabricius' map of Moravia from 1569 and refined it in accordance with new knowledge. Much of the basis for the editing was gleaned from his travels in the course of his or other Moravian priests' duties. He obtained further information from the libraries and archives of the noble Žerotín family, which were made available to him.

Therefore, he also addressed the Latin dedication in the upper left corner to Ladislav Velen of Žerotín with the words: "Numerous and variously published are the local maps of our country, most illustrious sir, but all of them are full of errors." The upper right corner of the map bears the Latin title "New and the most accurate map of Moravia by Jan Amos Komenský". In the upper part of the map there is a strip of lines of the Moravian towns of Polná, Olomouc, Brno and Znojmo. In the lower right corner there are explanatory notes on the markers used, and below them in a separate box is the name of the publisher, Nicolas Johann Piscator.

The engraving measures 442 x 544 mm and contains two different scales. The scale of 1 : 520 000 applies to the drawing and the additional grid is at a scale of 1 : 480 000.

In the map, Comenius recorded the location of 1 006 objects and 720 names for 667 local settlements, 28 rivers and ponds, 16 mountain formations, 8 countries and 1 forest. Using simple tree and hill markers, he gives an idea of the density of woodland, height and ruggedness of the terrain. The symbols here also indicate healing springs and spas, vineyards, glassworks or gold and silver mines. The deficiencies in the representation of streams and river confluences in Paul Fabricio's map have been corrected. The rivers have the correct confluence, pass through the correct towns and bridges are also newly marked on the map.

The first edition of the map from 1624 has survived only as a print from 1664 and is preserved in the archives of the Geographical Institute of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University in Brno and in Wrocław, Poland.

Each silver coin is stored in a protective plastic capsule and placed in a dark blue box along with a certificate of authenticity from the CNB.