The Czech Mint in Jablonec of the Czech Republic has issued 500 gold and 1,000 silver commemorative medals on the occasion of the Summer Olympics in Beijing that start on Friday, Mint business manager Libor Krapka said on Thursday.

The company has also created other Olympic commemorative medals by the same authors, but with a different design for the Czech Olympic Committee (COV), Krapka said.

The first edition will be for collectors, while the other medals will be given to athletes and COV partners, Krapka added.

The medals for collectors are decorated with Chinese motifs, such as the symbols of money and fortune as well as the Great Wall of China, while the medals for the COV are more conservative, bearing state symbols.

The eight-gram gold medal of a 22mm diameter, designed by artist Josef Oplistil, will be sold for 7,000 crowns (1 U.S. dollars equals 15.492 crowns).

The silver medal weighing 16 grams with a 34mm diameter, made by Vojtech Dostal, will cost 700 crowns.

According to Krapka, the mint in Jablonec cooperated with the Czech football and hockey associations as well.

This year the mint issued a series of medals for Euro 2008. Next year it will also coin similar medals on the occasion of the Nordic World Ski Championships that is to be held in Liberec, north of the Czech republic, in February 2009.

Source:Xinhua