CZ 75 REPUBLIKA auctioned for a record amount

A limited edition CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol was auctioned on Tuesday, 13 September 2022 at an evening organized by the Goltz Fortress Gallery in the Czech Republic. The gun was auctioned together with other works of art. The price of 980,000 CZK (40,000 EUR) even surpassed the “Girl in the golden dresses” statue by the well-known Czech sculptor Olbram Zoubek. The CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol was sold for the highest amount from all works auctioned that evening, thus proving that alongside important works of art, engraved firearms from CZ are among today’s best investments.

The auction at the Goltz Fortress Gallery confirms the unique value of engraved and limited edition firearms from CZ. The original price of the CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol was 200,000 CZK (8,160 EUR). In May of 2019, a CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol donated by the Colt CZ Group was auctioned at the Kodl Gallery in the Zofin district of Prague for 650,000 CZK (26,500 EUR). In 2019, US President Donald Trump received the CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol as an official gift from the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. At an auction on the evening of 30 March 2022 by Forbes magazine and the Svobodu Ukrainy Iniciativa (Freedom for Ukraine Initiative), a limited edition CZ 75 TOBRUK pistol was auctioned for 5 million CZK (204,000 EUR).

In 2018, on the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, CZ released the CZ 75 REPUBLIKA limited edition pistol. It consisted of only 100 pieces, each of which featured high quality, hand-engraved motifs of Czechoslovak state symbols and a unique serial number.

The full-size, all-steel, 9mm Luger CZ 75 B model, which is a modern successor to one of the most famous Czechoslovak weapons of all time, served as the base of the CZ 75 REPUBLIKA edition. The frame and slide come with a blued finish and are polished to a high gloss, with the barrel polished to a high gloss as well. The outer edges of the frame and slide are highlighted by a decorative line of inlaid 24K gold. Engraved motifs of a linden tree branch, which formed an important part of state symbolism during the Czechoslovak Republic’s interwar period, are placed within these highlighted areas. The front and back of the grip also feature this engraving, which replaces the usual vertical checkering, for a more secure grip. Gold edging and the linden tree engraving are also found on the bottom of the magazine baseplate.

The trigger, hammer, slide stop, magazine release and manual safety are also plated with 24 carat gold. Elements that protrude from the right side of the frame, together with the extractor and screws that hold the anatomical grips in place, are gold-plated as well. The grips are made from briar root and come with a varnish finish that accentuates the beautiful grain of the brown wood.

This special period is further represented by a small coat of arms that was used by the Czechoslovak Republic from 1920 to 1938. It’s a faithful copy made of gold (certified by a hallmark) and set into the right side of the frame, between the safety and slide stop.

The left side of the slide features the inscription “PRAVDA VÍTĚZÍ” (“TRUTH PREVAILS”), which is a motto used on the flag of the President of the Republic and in the country’s greater coat of arms, and CZ 75 REPUBLIKA. Both inscriptions are written in a stylish Art Deco style font. The traditional CZ trademark and caliber designation remain in their usual places. On the left side of the frame is the smaller inscription “Vyrobeno v České republice v edici 100 kusů“ (A 100 piece edition made in the Czech Republic).

On the right side of the frame, a serial number within the range of CSR-1918 to CSR-2018 (unique for each of the 100 pistols) is inscribed beside the proof mark on the slide and the barrel that’s visible within the ejection port. On the front part of the slide, on the right side of the firearm, is the anniversary of this edition: 1918-2018.

Each CZ 75 REPUBLIKA pistol comes in a unique display case that’s made from three types of wood. Carved into the top of the lid is a linden tree branch motif that encircles the Czechoslovak greater coat of arms from the First Republic. The sides of the case are covered with a veneer of dark burr walnut.

A microplush, dark red velvet padding covers the inside of the display case. A portrait of the first Czechoslovak president, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, together with the Czechoslovak Republic’s greater coat of arms, are printed on handmade paper that’s mounted under the lid. Two tricolor ribbons are used to hold the lid open. As an extra layer of protection, each case is delivered within a black laminated cardboard box that bears the CZ logo.