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Denomination Quality Metal Issue limit Diameter Weight
10000 HUF Proof .925 silver 5,000 26.4x39.61 mm 31.46 g
This coin aims to call public attention to Hungary’s oldest research institute, and the significance of the work it does. The institute founded in 1869 bears the name of Mining and Geological Survey of Hungary today and offers independent, authentic professional assistance to legislation, the national administration and the local governments in the area of geology, geophysics, mining and climate policy. Its activities include the promotion of sustainable management of Hungary’s mineral resources and waters, the research into the geological implications of energy sources and the analysis of the geological processes inside the Earth. The Institute gives priority to the professional cooperation with the countries in the Carpathian Basin and other countries in Europe.
It also directs attention to Ödön Lechner’s heritage, as the Art Geo Palace is Lechner’s one of the most mature works, an example of the national architectural style. Built as the main building of the Geological Institute of Hungary, the decorative elements of the Palace partly feature folk and geological motifs making a clear reference to the subject matter the Institute examines. The construction of the building, now under protection, was completed 120 years ago.
The selected motifs on the obverse refer to the double anniversary. On the front side o, a part of the Mining and Geological Survey’s Art Geo Palace is shown as viewed from the Stefánia street, which was built on the basis of Ödön Lechner’s plans 120 years ago. In the foreground, the front of the building decorated with Zsolnay ceramics is shown, and in the background, the top of the roof is featured with figures of Atlas holding the globe. On the edge, the upper part features the lettering ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’, and below it, the denominations 10,000 or 2,000 and the lettering ‘FORINT’ is shown broken into two horizontal lines and aligned to the right. Below, inserted in the illustration, is the master mark of DLA sculptor László Szunyogh, the designer of the coin.
The central motif on the reverse is an ammonoid fossil in limestone taking up two-thirds of the space at the bottom. Ammonoid finds have outstanding characteristics to complete absolute dating, as their certain orders had a lifespan of 1-2 million years at most, their evolution was extremely fast in geological terms, therefore the age, when they lived, can be determined using their remains relatively easily. The identification of the fossil section representation is aided by the lettering ‘ammonitesz’ (ammonoid) running in a circle above the representation. In the upper third on the reverse the lettering FÖLDTANI / INTÉZET (Geological / Institute) is shown in three lines below one another, and the year 1869 referring to the foundation of the research institute. The additional design elements of the coins are placed on the lower part of the coin side embedded in the representation of the piece of rock: on the left, the mint year 2019, and on the right, the mint mark ‘BP.’
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