Message from Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Set of two medals
Bessergold Mint is issuing a special set of two medals dedicated to the legacy of the first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The edition, entitled Message from Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk recalls words that have been hidden in archives for decades and whose wording will be revealed on September 19, 2025.
A mysterious envelope containing a message was deposited in the National Archives in Chodovec, Prague, 88 years ago. Antonín Sum, Jan Masaryk's secretary at the time, sealed it with the condition that it would not be opened until 2025.
The text is believed to have been written on September 5, 1937, when the president's son Jan and Edvard Beneš were present at his bedside. Since Masaryk himself was no longer able to speak, Jan became the intermediary who recorded his father's last thoughts.
The words of the first Czechoslovak president will be published on September 19, 2025, at the castle in Lány. Historians, archivists, members of Masaryk's family, and current President Petr Pavel will be present at the opening of the envelope.
The medals are works of art by a medallist Jiří Hanuš, DiS.
The obverse side bears a portrait of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, accompanied by his initials and the dates symbolizing the creation and opening of the message. The reverse side is divided by a diagonal cut. The dominant element is the number 88, commemorating the number of years that have passed since the envelope was sealed.
Gold medal
Silver medal
Set scale
| Author | Jiří Hanuš, DiS. |
| Material | Au 999,9, Ag 999 |
| Weight of set | Au 15,56 g, Ag 42 g |
| Diameter | Au 28 mm, Ag 50 mm |
| Design | Proof |
| Edge | Smooth, numbered |
| Production run | 88 pieces |
| Year of emission | 2025 |
| Mint | BESSERGOLD Mint s.r.o. |
Did you know that Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk's favorite food was plum dumplings?
Our first Czechoslovak president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, was famous for his moderation in food, but when it came to his favorite plum dumplings made from potato dough coated in fried breadcrumbs, sprinkled with poppy seeds and topped with butter, all moderation went out the window.
This fact was once confirmed by Alois Kadlec, a waiter who personally served Masaryk: "Whenever I brought dessert after the main course, he would only have one serving. However, when it came to plum dumplings, he would first have three and then another three."
It is well known that Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk did not like to sit at the table alone and had his guests prepare their own menus. Since each menu was printed on high-quality paper, many guests took them home as souvenirs.
Masaryk's plum dumplings
Recipe from a period cookbook
Cream 100 g of butter in a bowl, add 20 cooked, salted, and grated potatoes. Then add 5 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks and a little cream, knead everything together with flour, roll out on a pastry board and cut into small squares.
Plums are placed on these squares, which are then closed, rounded, and boiled in salted water. The boiled dumplings are removed to a sieve and rinsed with cold water, then placed in a pan with grated fried breadcrumbs and browned in the oven.
When serving, butter the dumplings and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
You can purchase the set of medals online on 