Description
Dezső Kosztolányi (1885-1936) was a famous Hungarian poet and prose-writer.
Kosztolányi was born in Szabadka (Subotica) in 1885, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but which now lies in northern Serbia. Kosztolányi studied at the University of Budapest, where he met the poets Mihály Babits and Gyula Juhász, and then for a short time in Vienna before quitting and becoming a journalist–a profession he stayed with for the rest of his life. The literary journal Nyugat (Hungarian for “West”), which played an invaluable role in the revitalization of Hungarian literature, was founded in 1908 and Kosztolányi was an early contributor, part of what is often called the “first Nyugat generation”, publishing mainly in poetry.
Front: The collector coin was designed by István Holló. In addition to the standard design elements (the value numeral: 5000, the legend: REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY, the mint mark: BP and the year of issue: 2010), the obverse of the coin features a ruinous stone wall as a main motif, alluding to the urban poetry of Kosztolányi.
Back:The reverse bears the portrait of Kosztolányi after a photo by Béla Halmi. The inscription ‘Dezső Kosztolányi’ and the dates ‘1885–1936’ are located to the left of the portrait. To the right of the portrait is the engraver’s signature mark.
Keywords:literature, poetry, art, silver, 2010
