(Budapest) Centuries of Hungarian history are being brought to life with the release of the final two silver commemorative 5,000 forint coins authorized by the National Bank of Hungary for 2004.  Both issues are of a limited low mintage and will be available only for a brief period of time. The coins are sterling (.925 fine) silver, weigh 31.46 grams (just over one troy ounce) and are 38.61 mm (1 1/2inches) in diameter.

1. Visegrad Castle
The first recognizes one of Hungary's foremost tourist attractions and repositories of its cultural heritage, the famous Visegrad Castle. The town of Visegrad is situated in a picturesque and strategic location north of Budapest at the bend of the Danube River. It was used by the Romans as a military fortress in the 4th century and became a Slavic settlement in the 9th century when they named it Visegrad, the Slavic word for "high castle."
     The Magyars took the castle but temporarily lost it to the invading to the Mongols in 1241. King Bela IV then built a lower castle next to the river, as well as the hilltop citadel (Fellegvar). Solomon's Tower, which in the 13th century formed part of the lower castle and was used to control river traffic, now houses a museum. The citadel was protected by a moat carved from the rock and its Treasury Tower was where the royal insignia were stored.
 In 1316 Charles of Anjou moved his Court to Visegrad and the town became an important cultural center. In 1330 a new palace was built close to the river which became the summer residence of Hungarian kings. In the early 1440's King Sigismund's daughter, Alzbeta, secretly took the crown jewels for use in the crowning of her baby son, Laszlo. When the palace was rebuilt in the 15th century by Matthias Corvinus, it was arguably unequaled in Europe for its size and opulence.
     During the Turkish wars the palace was abandoned and fell into decay. The Austrians caused further damage when they moved in. German settlers arrived in the 18th century and used stone from the palace to build their houses. A landslide buried the rest of the palace and it was soon forgotten.
 In 1934 the existence of the palace was discovered through archival research. Excavation work carried out by Janos Schulek revealed the size and importance of the building. Now it is being restored to its full glory.
     Visegrad is also known today as the birthplace in February 1991 of the Visegrad Group (Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Hungary). From World War II until 1989-1990, these countries were Communist states and members of the Warsaw Pact.  In the last decade, the Visegrad group has joined NATO, and made the transition to democracy and to market-based economies. On May 1, 2004, they became members of the European Union (EU).
     The coins show the castle as seen from the river on one side and from atop the mountain on the other. The brilliant uncirculated versions are US$ 45.00 each and the proof specimens are $49.50 and are available only until December 31, 2004 at these prices. Mintage is 4,000 pieces of each.

2. The Ancient Christian
Necropolis in Pecs
What is now the region of Transdanubia in modern Hungary was once a part of the Roman Empire, with the Danube River forming its natural border. In ancient times, it was known as Pannonia. The town of Sopiana¦­now the city of Pecs­was founded in the 1st century A.D. Thanks to its rapid development, when the province of Pannonia was divided up in 295, the town became the seat of the district of Valeria, and the administrative center for the entire province.
     The Edict of Milan in 313 by Emperor Constantine the Great granted Christians the freedom to practice their religion, leading to the rapid spread of Christianity throughout the Empire. In the 4th-5th century, a dynamic, wealthy Christian community developed in Sopianæ. Archaeological relics from this community include tombs, brick and stone headstones, and sarcophagi, most of which were unearthed when new buildings were under construction. The first ancient Christian burial tomb, known as the 'Peter and Paul Chamber', was discovered in 1782 right next to the cathedral in Pecs. Systematic excavations finally began in the 20th century. In the necropolis to the north and east of the city, more than 1,000 graves dated to the 3rd-5th century have been unearthed. Some of the graves were made of brick or sarcophagi, the rest were simple earthen graves. The necropolis on the south slopes of the Mecsek mountains were built in a terrace-like fashion. Shrines and memorial chapels were situated on the terraced areas, with the actual tombs underneath, on the terrace itself. In general, the tombs were square cellar-like structures, with barrel-vaulted roofs. Opposite the entryway there was a eucharistic niche, It is thought that the tombs were built between 312 and 435. The murals in the tombs depict Christian symbols and scenes from the Bible. The artistic quality of the works and the size of the necropolis reflect the importance of this provincial seat in the late Roman Empire.
     This is the third silver commemorative coin in its series depicting Hungarian World Heritage sites (after the Hortobagyi National Park in 2002 and the village of Hollak  in 2003), the National Bank of Hungary has chosen to celebrate the truly unique ancient Christian cemetery in Pecs (Sopiana), which has been a World Heritage site since 2000.
 The artist Lajszla Szlajvics Jr. selected the "Korsas" burial chamber as the theme for this silver coin. This burial tomb was presumably built in the 4th century and was only excavated in the last century. The side walls of the chamber are decorated by ornamental and geometric designs symbolizing the Garden of Eden, while the chamber takes its name from depiction of the "pitcher" by the eucharistic niche. The front of the coin also shows the monogram of Christ found in the Peter and Paul burial chamber.
     As with the Visegrad coins, brilliant uncirculated specimens are US$ 45.00 each and the proofs are $49.50 and are also available only until December 31, 2004.

2003 5000 Forint Silver Coins
300th Anniversary of the Rákóczi War of Independence
Ferenc II Rákóczi's ill-fated struggle in 1703 to free Hungary from the “illegal and intolerable yoke” of Habsburg tyranny is one of Hungarian history's legends. A Hungarian calvaryman (“kuruc') on horseback is shown on the obverse, while the reverse is a replica of the very rare 1707 Transylvanian gold ducat with Rákóczi as Prince - the only known coin with his portrait.
Designer: Gábor GÁTI
Mintage: 3000 pcs BU / 3000 pcs Proof
Fineness: Silver .925, Weight: 31.46 g..  Diameter: 38.61 mm
BU: $42.50 each, Proof: $49.50 each

World heritage in Hungary: HOLLÓKÕ 
This “living museum” is a village just 60 miles from Budapest which became a Heritage Site in 1987 and is an example of harmony between nature and architecture. The church of the obverse dates to the 11th century and the legendary hilltop castle on the reverse is from the 13th.
Designer: Enikõ  SZÖLLÕSY
Mintage: 5000 pcs BU / 5000 pcs Proof
Mintage: 3000 pcs BU / 3000 pcs Proof
Fineness: Silver .925, Weight: 31.46 g..  Diameter: 38.61 mm
BU: $42.50 each, Proof: $49.50 each

150th Anniversary of the Founding of the
BUDAPEST PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Founded in 1853 by Ferenc Erkel, it has been a home to the works and performances of music's greats: Liszt, Mahler, Brahms, Goldmark, Bartók, Kodály, Dohnányi and others. The orchestra's home, the Budapest Opera House is one of the best known symbols of Hungarian culture. The four portraits are of Erkel, Bartók, Kodály and Dohnányi-all leaders of the orchestra.
Designer: Emma SZ. EGYED
Mintage: 4000 pcs BU / 4000 pcs Proof
Fineness: Silver .925, Weight: 31.46 g..  Diameter: 38.61 mm
BU: $42.50 each, Proof: $49.50 each

100th Anniversary of Birth of JANOS NEUMANN
Known outside Hungary as John von Neumann, he was among the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. His contributions included quantum physics, logic, meteorology, the theory and application of high speed computers, game theory and economics. He lectured at Princeton and during World War II he helped America's war effort with his work in the famous laboratories at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Part of the series "Hungarian Scientists"
Designer: Áron BOHUS
Mintage: 3000 pcs BU / 3000 pcs Proof
Fineness: Silver .925, Weight: 31.46 g..  Diameter: 38.61 mm
BU: $42.50 each, Proof: $49.50 each

Three New Coins from Hungary: Square, Hollow and Silver

One of the world's great games, chess, is the subject of a 500 forint copper-nickel coin in the form of a chessboard. The 1 1/8 inch square coin shows an eighteenth century "chess automat" created by Farkas Kempelen on the obverse surrounded by some familiar names in the world of Hungarian chess. The reverse has a schematic of a chessboard around the denomination and date. 10,000 specimens were minted in each of brilliant uncirculated and proof quality. Prices are $12.50 and $15.00 respectively.

"The Message" is the name the Hungarian Mint gave to its copper 1,000 forint coin. It is a hollow coin which unscrews, allowing the sender to insert a written message inside the coin. The design, however, concentrates on more modern methods of communication: The obverse shows a satellite dish and the reverse a high-tech rendition of the ancient messenger god, Mercury with some bits of binary data. The 32 mm (1.3 inch) coin is limited to 15,000 brilliant uncirculated specimens and costs $18.50.

The Margit Kovacs coin is the fourth 3,000 forint of 2002 This issue honors the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous ceramicist, sculptor and artist. As seen on the obverse of the coin, her work was creative,
whimsical and moving typical of her great sense of humor and of her ability to capture the emotions of her subjects. The museum dedicated to her ranks as one of Hungary's most visited attractions. The 38.6 mm (1.5 inch) sterling silver coin weighs 31.46 grams and is available in brilliant uncirculated and proof with a mintage of 4,000 each. Prices are $42.50 and $49.50.

100TH Anniversary of the first Hungarian Film
The premiere of the first Hungarian film was on April 30, 1901 in Budapest. The Dance, produced by Béla Zsitkovszky (1867-1930) was a compilation of 27 one-minute films, each of which depicted a different dance. The performers was some of the great theater stars of the era, along with the dance ensemble of the Hungarian Royal Opera House. While not all of the films from the series survived, there are still some frames, photographs and posters as testament to the new art form.A coin to commemorate this centennial and to celebrate Hungary's culture of dance was released by the National Bank of Hungary on International Dance
Day, April 29, 2001. Since silver has been such an integral part of the film developing process, Mihály Fritz designed a coin meant to evoke celluloid on silver. Each side of the coin is framed as if it were part of a strip of motion picture film; a pair of ballet dancers on one side and the denomination and date on the other.
Weight: 31.46 grams.
Measure: 38.61 mm (1½ inches) in diameter.
Purity: .925 (sterling) silver.
Mintage limits are just 3,500 pieces each
of brilliant uncirculated and proof, which cost $42.50 (U.S.) and $49.50 respectively.



Silver 3,000 Forint Coin
In 1001, St. Stephen, the king who founded the Hungarian state, and whose crown is a revered national icon, had the first silver denars struck there immediately following his coronation. In the years since, the coinage of Hungary has been consistent not only in conforming to the norms of other European coinage, but also in setting standards for design and, particularly in the case of the gold florin (goldgulden), for weight and fineness. One example is the image of St. Ladislaus on horseback, a style which was replicated throughout Europe, and which has now been brought back to life on the 2001 silver 3,000 forint coin. Authorized mintages are relatively small:
Weight: 31.46 grams
Measure: 38.61 mm (1½ inches) across
Purity: .925 (sterling) silver
5,000 brilliant uncirculated specimens
Price: $42.50 (U.S.)
Another 5,000 proofs
Price: $49.50 (U.S.)



The 20,000 forint gold coin for 2001
A new design for Hungarian coins was introduced in 1467 with the monetary reform of King Matthias Corvinus , the portrait of the Madonna and Child with the legend "PATRONA HVNGARIAE." This motif was found on Hungary's coins from then until 1939. The 20,000 forint gold coin for 2001 has a reproduction of the first gold forint to bear this image superimposed under an-engraving of a medieval minter.
Weight: 6.982 grams
Measure: measuring 22 mm (.87") in diameter.
Purity: exceptionally pure .986 fine (23.67 kt.) gold
Only 3,000 coins were struck in proof.
Price: $195.00 (U.S.)
A set of the two proof coins (silver and gold)
is also available.
Price: $239.50. (U.S.)

The millennium of Hungary's coinage is also the theme for the packaging of Hungary's 2001 proof and mint sets. As usual, each set contains all of Hungary's regular circulating coinage in a specially-designed themed package.
Prices are $32.50 and $19.50 respectively.



First Rectangular Coin
100th Anniversary of Artist Colony
Hungary Issues its First Rectangular Coin to Mark 100th Anniversary of Artist Colony When AladarKorosfoi Kriesch moved northeast from Budapest in June, 1901 to the nearby town of Godollo , he laid the foundation for the Hungarian art nouveau movement's only organized school, the Godollo Artist Colony. Now, on the colony's centennial and in line with art nouveau's concept of "all-embracing art," the National Bank of Hungary is evoking a new concept of monetary art for itself: the nation's first rectangular legal tender coin. The 4,000 forint piece was released on March 14 with a maximum mintage of 4,000 coins in proof quality and the same number in brilliant uncirculated. The new coins draw on a typical sample of Hungarian art nouveau: The stained glass cabinet windows entitled "Sisters." Designed in 1910 by Sandor Nagy and executed by Miksa Rath, they are on display in the Godollo City Museum's permanent exhibition. With their special angular forms and wealth of contrasting motifs, they make the coin representative of art nouveau's many forms and media.

Weight: 31.46 grams
Measure: 26.4 x 39.6 mm (1.04" x 1.56").
Purity: .925 (sterling) silver
Price Proof: $49.50
Uncirculated: $42.50






The newest issue of the National Bank of Hungary is unusual in that it is the first time the nation is using paper money instead of a coin to honor an important national event. In this case, it is one which few anywhere can celebrate – the thousandth anniversary of nationhood. The "Magyar Millennium" was the theme of gold and silver coins earlier in the year. Now, as the anniversary year draws to a close, a special issue of the 2,000 forint banknote has been released in a limited issue of just 500,000 notes. Unique to this note is that on the face it has a holographic metal strip made of gold. Depending on the angle at which it is viewed, it shows either the national coat of arms, or the letters "MNB" for Magyar Nemzeti Bank (National Bank of Hungary). The reverse has the words "Magyar Millennium" in the center. The note is available by subscription. The deadline to subscribe for the first 100,000 notes was the end of July and it was fully booked within days. While they remain available they may be purchased for $24.50 each.