The Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a non-ferrous metal collector coin named ‘Székesfehérvár, Romkert Nemzeti Emlékhely’ in bronze coated finish with a face value of 2,000 forints on 28 November 2022. This coin is the ninth addition to the series launched in 2014 at the initiation of the Hungarian Heritage Institute, which is set to depict Hungarian national memorial sites. The coin, to be issued on the 1050th anniversary of the foundation of Székesfehérvár, was designed by sculptor Virág Szabó.
Székesfehérvár was the political and cultic centre of medieval Hungary, the main site of the coronation and burial of kings. The Székesfehérvár Romkert (ruin garden) is one of the most important memorial sites from the time the Hungarian state had been founded. As tradition has it the town was founded by Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians in 972. Stephen I of Hungary did not only build a basilica in the settlement, but also transformed it into a religious and administrative centre. The coronation badges were kept in Fehérvár, and the royal treasury and archives were also located here. For nearly five hundred years it was a town of coronation. It played a significant public role in Hungarian history. Until the period of Turkish occupation, it had been one of the most important towns in the country.
The transformation of the Romkert took place between 1936 and 1938. In 2011, it was inaugurated as a national memorial site, and in 2020 it was awarded the ‘Memorial Site of the Year’ award.
The central motif on the obverse of the collector coin ‘Székesfehérvár, Romkert Nemzeti Emlékhely’ is a stylised detail of the longitudinal left side of the sarcophagus of Stephen I of Hungary. The cherub motif in the centre is bordered on both sides by a twisting plant rosette. The compulsory design elements of legal tender are placed on the obverse: under the representation of the sarcophagus to the left, the inscription ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ (Hungary), the mint mark ‘BP.’ in the middle the denomination ‘2000’, to the right the mint year ‘2022’, below the denomination in a circular legend, the lettering ‘FORINT’.
The reverse shows a slightly overhead view of the memorial site, depicting the central reception building, the tomb marked by a cross, and a section of the stone wall of the Romkert on the left. The coin bears the inscription ‘SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR’ in semi-circular legend on the upper edge, the words ‘NEMZETI EMLÉKHELY’ (National Memorial Site) in a semi-circular legend on the lower edge, and the lettering ‘ROMKERT’ (ruin garden) horizontally below. The common logo of national memorial sites is located at the bottom right of the reverse. The master mark of the designer, Virág Szabó, is hidden in the stone wall on the left side of the coin.
The ‘Székesfehérvár, Romkert Nemzeti Emlékhely’ collector coin
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obverse |
reverse |
The collector coin is minted from an alloy of copper (90%) and zinc (10%). It weighs 18.4 grams and it is 37 mm in diameter and has a reeded edge. Once again, the commemorative coin will be issued in a limited edition of 10,000 bronze-coated pieces.
To promote the collector coins' value transferring and educational role as widely as possible the ‘Székesfehérvár, Romkert Nemzeti Emlékhely’ collector coin can be purchased for one year after issuance, subject to availability at its face value at the coin shop of Hungarian Mint Ltd. (Budapest, distr. V, 7 Báthory street) from 28 November 2022 and in the webshop on the company’s website (http://penzvero.hu/).