The MNB to launch new collector coin series by issuing ‘Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét’ collector coin

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank will issue a silver collector coin named ‘Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét’ with a face value of 15,000 forints and its non-ferrous metal version of 3000 forints on the 125th anniversary of the inauguration of the Kecskemét City Hall, which is considered ‘the jewel of Art Nouveau’ on 3 October 2022. These coins are the starter pieces in a new series of collector coins presenting the counties and county towns in Hungary. Their obverse was designed by applied artist Gábor Kereszthury, their reverse, in turn, by applied artist Fanni Vékony.

Bács-Kiskun is the largest and most ethnically diverse county in Hungary, with Kecskemét as its centre. The ‘hírös város’ (famous city) is the eighth largest in terms of population with the seventh largest administrative area. For centuries, Kecskemét was the most significant town in the Danube-Tisza area, its economic, ecclesiastical and educational centre. In a charter of 1368, the town is already mentioned as a market town. It became the seat of the largest county in Hungary in 1950, and is still the educational, cultural, administrative and industrial centre of the region, and since 2012 it has been a major centre of automotive industry.

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank will issue a silver collector coins named ‘Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét’ with a face value of 15,000 forints and its non-ferrous metal version of 3000 forints on the 125th anniversary of the inauguration of the Kecskemét City Hall, which is considered ‘the jewel of Art Nouveau’. These coins will start off a new series of collector coins presenting the counties and county towns in Hungary. Accordingly, the obverse of the collector coins represents Kecskemét, and the reverse Bács-Kiskun County.

The primary role of the coins is to raise awareness with no role in cash circulation. The silver and non-ferrous metal coins have the same design, the only difference being the denominations on them.

The obverse of the collector coins shows the impressive building of the Kecskemét City Hall facing Kossuth Square, with a section of the square. The City Hall, the pride of Kecskemét, was built between 1893-1897 based on the Ödön Lechner’s and Gyula Pártos’ designs, the title of their submitted plan is also the motto of the city: ‘Sem magasság, sem mélység nem rettent’ (Neither height nor depth terrifies me). In the foreground, on the right side of the representation of the building, is the master mark of the artist Gábor Kereszthury, who designed the obverse.

The obverse of the ‘Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét’ collector coins

On the reverse, the famous natives of the county - the portraits of Sándor Petőfi, József Katona, Ferenc Móra and Zoltán Kodály - are shown clockwise, each highlighted with a circle in the background. The portraits are accompanied by the signatures of these famous men. The portraits are connected by the borderline of Bács-Kiskun county, in which a dot marks the geographical location of Kecskemét. The master mark of applied artist, Fanni Vékony, who designed the reverse, is on the right, next to a representation of Ferenc Móra.

„Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét” megnevezésű emlékérmék hátlapja

The collector coins are also unique in terms of their technical parameters, with a diameter of 42 mm being added to the MNB's range of collector coin issuances for the first time. In addition, the third side is decorated with the inscription "MAGYARORSZÁG MEGYÉI, MEGYESZÉKHELYEI” (Hungary's counties, county towns), which is repeated twice on the fine milled edges, separated by a hyphen.

The silver coin with a face value of 15,000 forint is struck in .925 fine silver and weighs 40 grams. The non-ferrous metal coin with a face value of 3000 forint is produced from an alloy of copper (90%) and zinc (10%) and weighs 29.50 grams. 7,000 pieces can be produced of the silver collector coin in proof finish and 10,000 pieces of the non-ferrous version in tarnished finish.

In order to promote the role of these collector coins to transfer value and raise awareness as widely as possible, the silver coin ‘Bács-Kiskun megye, Kecskemét’ will be available for purchase for three months, while stocks last, and the non-ferrous version for one year from the date of issuance, at face value in the webshop (https://www.penzvero.hu/) and coin shop of Hungarian Mint Ltd. (Budapest, distr. V, 7 Báthory street), the producer and the distributor of the coins, starting from 3 October 2022.

The future items in the series will bear the inscriptions in line with the new administrative naming conventions that will enter into force on 1 January 2023.