University of Pécs commemorative coin – Commemorative coin issuance to celebrate the 650 years of higher education in Hungary

The commemorative coins of the University of Pécs are legal tender in Hungary, although they have not been minted for circulation purposes. The silver and non-ferrous metal coins have the same design, the only difference being the value numerals. They were designed by sculptor Virág Szabó.

In the papal bull issued by Pope Urban V, the pope granted authorisation to king Louis I of Hungary to establish an institution of higher education in Pécs on 1 September 1367. In the bishop’s seat the university started with 3 faculties (law, medicine, philosophy), and although it only existed for a limited amount of time, it signified a new era in the cultural history of Hungary: the beginning of higher education. The face side of the coin issued for the anniversary shows Bishop William’s coat-of-arms carved in stone, and displays a stylised part of the papal bull that authorised the foundation in the background. The bishop initiated the establishment of the University of Pécs in the Middle Ages.

The compulsory design elements of coins are placed on the obverse: the inscription ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ as the issuer, the value numerals ‘10,000 FORINT’ and ‘2,000 FORINT’, the mint year 2017, as well as the mint mark ‘BP.’, that also contains a safety feature in micro lettering visible only when magnified ten times, offering protection against the counterfeiting of the commemorative coins.

The reverse side of the commemorative coins features the northern façade of one of the most characteristic buildings of the University of Pécs, that of the rector’s office built in neo-romanesque style – bordered by a vertical line – with a part of the papal bull that authorised the foundation of the medieval university. The latter is split in two by a stripe depicting an Angevin fleur-de-lis, which makes a reference to Louis I of Hungary, the king who founded the university. The upper circular legend reads “650 ÉVES A MAGYAR FELSŐOKTATÁS”, while “PÉCSI TUDOMÁNYEGYETEM” is inscribed in the lower circular legend, providing the reason for the issuance of the coins. On the left, the upper and the lower legends are separated by a motif depicting an Angevin fleur-de-lis, and by the mint master’s mark of Virág Szabó designer artist, on the right.

The diameters of both commemorative coins are 38.61 mm, their edges are reeded. The commemorative coin with a face value of HUF 10,000 is struck in 925‰ fine silver, while the non-ferrous metal version with a face value of HUF 2,000 is minted from copper (75%) and nickel (25%) alloy. The silver coin of 31.46 grams is made in proof, and the non-ferrous metal coin of 30.8 grams in BU finish.

The commemorative coins are issued in limited edition: 5000 pieces can be made of each.