The Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a gold collector coin ‘Gold Florin of Charles I’ with a face value of HUF 10,000 in normal and piedfort versions. The piedfort coin is exactly four times the weight of the normal weight coin. The collector coin is the first of the Hungarian medieval gold florin series. The coin was designed by Tamás E Soltra.
The obverse of the coin features the standard design elements: the upper legend ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ (Hungary) on the rim, the value numeral ’10 000’ and the inscription ‘FORINT’ in a lower legend, separated from each other by a dot. The mint year ‘2012’ and the mint mark ‘BP.’ are positioned on the left and right sides of the coin, respectively, between the upper and lower legends. A representation of the obverse of the gold florin of Charles I is depicted in the centre, with the Florentine lily appearing in the legend KAROLV•REX (King Charles). As with all coins issued in contemporary Europe, King Charles’ coin was also made after the gold coin of Florence called fiorino d’oro (hence the forint’s name) because of its fleur de lis design, struck from 1252.
On the rim of the reverse, the upper and lower legends read ‘I. KÁROLY’ (Charles I) and the period of the King’s rule ‘1301–1342’, respectively. Ornamental motifs depicting an Anjou lily feature on the left and right sides, between the upper and lower legends. The initials of designer Tamás E. Soltra are positioned below the ornamental motif on the right. A representation of the reverse of the gold florin of Charles I is depicted in the centre, with a picture of the patron saint of Florence circumscribed with the inscription S IOHANNES B (St John the Baptist). A small crown is placed at the end of the legend on the reverse, which some believe is the mint mark of the medieval city of Buda. However, because this mark features on all known pieces, it is more likely that it refers to the Kingdom of Hungary, the issuer of the coin, distinguishing them markedly from Florentine florins.
The collector coin will be issued both in standard and piedfort (four times the weight of the standard coin) sizes. The inscription on the edge of the piedfort coin reads ‘KAROLUS · REX · FLORENUS · 1325’, concluding with the ornamental motif depicting the Anjou lily. The standard size coins are struck in .986 fine gold. Their weight is 3.491 grams, their diameter is 20 mm and they have a smooth edge. The piedfort coins with an edge inscription weigh 13.964 grams. Other technical parameters of the piedforts are the same as those of the standard size coins.
The mintage limit of the standard size collector coin is 5,000 and that of the piedfort coin is 1,500.
The collector coin can be purchased at the coin shop of the Hungarian Mint in the Magyar Nemzeti Bank’s Visitor Centre (8–9 Szabadság tér, Budapest) and on the Mint’s website (www.penzvero.hu)
