Collector coin in honour of Sándor Popovics, Founding Governor of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank issued a silver collector coin with a face value of HUF 3000 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sándor Popovics. The collector coin was presented by András Simor, Governor of the Bank, at the Budapest Economic Forum 2012 conference.

Sándor Popovics (Budapest, 22 October 1862 – Budapest, 15 April 1935) was a politician and financial expert. From 1909 he was Governor of the Austro-Hungarian Bank performing the functions of a central bank. After World War I, he served as Minister of Finance for a short period in Sándor Wekerle’s government, and then was a member of the Hungarian delegation to the Trianon negotiations. He became the first Governor of the Magyar Nemzeti bank established in 1924 and ‘Master of the Treasury’. The following quotes illustrate well the views of Popovics on inflation: ‘Letting inflation run rampant anywhere will destroy existing values, and the damage it does will be much greater than the resulting increase in public wealth.’

‘… countries that are the first to stop inflation will be the first to leave behind their troubles’

The collector coin was designed by Márta Csikai. The obverse of the collector coin bears the standard elements: the legend ‘HUNGARY’, the mint mark ‘BP.’, the mint year ‘2012’, the value numeral ‘3000’ and the inscription ‘FORINT’. The centre of the coin shows a detail of the facade of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank building facing Bank utca, with a statue created by sculptor József Róna.

The reverse of the collector coin bears the portrait of Sándor Popovics, with the upper legend ‘SÁNDOR POPOVICS’ placed on the right edge. The dates of birth and death of Sándor Popovics, ‘1862’ and ‘1935’, are written in two horizontal lines below each other to the right of the portrait. The initials of designer Márta Csikai feature to the left of the portrait.

The silver collector coin is struck in .925 fine silver. It weighs 20 grams and it is 34 mm in diameter and has a reeded edge. The mintage limit of the silver collector coins is 6,000, of which 4,000 can be produced in proof finish.

The collector coins are sold by the Hungarian Mint. They are available to buy 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), where a number of collector coins produced from gold, silver and non-ferrous metals issued earlier are also on sale.

MAGYAR NEMZETI BANK

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Vissza a tetejére

The primary objective of the MNB shall be to achieve and maintain price stability. (...) Without prejudice to its primary objective, the MNB shall support the maintenance of the stability of the system of financial intermediation, the enhancement of its resilience, its sustainable contribution to economic growth; furthermore, the MNB shall support the government’s economic policy and its policy related to environmental sustainability, using instruments at its disposal.