The MNB launches the 2025 issuance programme with collector coins in honour of Mór Jókai

18 February 2025 – The Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) is issuing a silver collector coin named ‘Jókai Mór’ with a face value of 20,000 forints and its non-ferrous metal version of 3,000 forints on the day of the Hungarian fiction, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest writers in Hungarian literary history. Designed by sculptor Zoltán Kovács these collector coins mark the start of the MNB’s 2025 issuance programme.

One of the most distinguished and complex figures in Hungarian literature, Mór Jókai was born in Komárom on 18 February 1825. He was an extremely prolific author, whose works belong to several literary genres. Numerous novels, short stories, plays, poems and newspaper articles were published under his name. The first success as a writer came to him after the novels Egy magyar nábob (A Hungarian Nabob) and Zoltán Kárpáthy. He was also active in politics and public life. He met Sándor Petőfi while he was still at school. He was one of the Young people of March, and supported the 1848–1849 Revolution and War of Independence as an editor of newspapers and periodicals in Pest and Debrecen. Being a member of Parliament, he served his country as a politician for decades. He was a corresponding member of the Kisfaludy Society, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from 1858 and from 1860, respectively, and a regular member from 1861. In 1876, he became a founding member and president of the Petőfi Society. His achievements and contributions were acknowledged with several awards.

In honour of the ‘Great Hungarian storyteller’, on the two-hundredth anniversary of his birth, the MNB is issuing a 20,000 forints silver collector coin and its non-ferrous metal version of 3,000 forints on 18 February 2025. Also celebrating his legacy in literature and culture, the collector coins commemorate the life's work and the iconic figure of Jókai, a well-respected writer recognised by his contemporaries.

As the central motif, the obverse features a portion of the spine and hardcover of the book series ‘JÓKAI MÓR ÖSSZES MŰVEI – NEMZETI KIADÁS’ (THE COMPLETE WORKS OF MÓR JÓKAI – A NATIONAL EDITION), published by the Révai brothers in 1894 honouring Jókai's 50 years as a writer, in a gilded fabric Gottermayer binding. On the left of the obverse, bordered by the bookspine, in the outer ring the lettering ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ (HUNGARY) is seen, referring to the issuer, with the denominations ‘20000’ and ‘3000’ next to it in two lines, running parallel to the spine, the wording ‘FORINT’ is surrounded by the mint mark ‘BP.’ on the left and ‘2025’ on the right indicating the minting year.

The reverse shows a seated portrait of Mór Jókai, inspired by a photograph of the writer taken in Budapest in the late 1870s. To the left of the portrait the years “1825 – 1904” make reference to Jókai’s birth and death. Jókai’s signature is placed under the years. The designer’s mark of sculptor Zoltán Kovács, the designer of the coin, is featured within the representation of the desk.

Both collector coins are 38.61 mm in diameter, their edges are reeded. The silver coin with a face value of 20,000 forints is struck in .925 fine silver and weighs 31.46 grams. The non-ferrous metal coin with a face value of 3,000 forints is produced from an alloy of copper (75%) and nickel (25%) and weighs 30.80 grams. 5,000 pieces can be made of the silver collector coin in proof finish and also 5,000 pieces of the non-ferrous version in BU finish.

In order to promote the role of these collector coins to raise awareness as widely as possible, the silver coin ‘Jókai Mór’ 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 the Hungarian Mint Ltd. (Budapest, distr. V, 7 Báthory street), the producer and distributor of the coins, starting from 18 February 2025.