National Bank Issues Commemorative Anniversary Coins

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) issued a silver collector coin of exceptionally high denomination, with a face value of HUF 30,000 entitled ‘30 Years of Freedom' this Friday to honor the 30th anniversary of the first meeting of the National Assembly elected freely for the first time in Hungary.

This collector coin and its HUF 3,000 non-ferrous version aim to raise public awareness of the significance of the political transition in Hungary and the process of how a free, independent, democratic Hungary came into being. The collector coin was designed by the artist Balázs Bitó.

The bank says the ‘30 Years of Freedom’ collector coins are legal tender in Hungary, but they do not serve circulation purposes. Their primary role is to raise awareness and offer education. With this coin, the MNB seeks to highlight the significance of the political transition and the cornerstones of the establishment of a free, independent and democratic Hungary. The silver and the non-ferrous metal versions have the same design, the only difference being their denominations.

The central motif on the obverse of the coin stems from an iconic, 1989 election campaign poster by István Orosz, showing the new coat of arms crushing the old one which was valid before July 11, 1990, adapted to the coin’s design. The compulsory elements of collector coins are found in the outer ring on an elevated plane: in the upper legend the lettering ‘MAGYARORSZÁG' (Hungary), in the lower legend the denominations 30,000 FORINT and 3,000 FORINT also referring to the anniversary, to the left, on the horizontal middle line the mint mark ‘BP.’ containing a security element, and on the left the mint year, 2020.