Description
Hungarian minting achieved European standards under King Matthias I
(Corvinus), who put great emphasis on maintaining the stability of the gold florin. Thanks to their high gold content, the gold florins minted by King Matthias I were a respected, desirable currency, not just in Hungary but in neighbouring countries as well. The currency reforms introduced by Matthias increased royal revenues and bolstered the economic and political strength of the Hungarian kingdom in the 15th century.
Front: The centre field on the front features a depiction of the back of the gold florin minted by King Matthias I. The circular legend at the front top edge reads “MAGYARORSZÁG” (Hungary), while the denomination “50000” and “FORINT” is found at the bottom in a slightly raised semi-circular band, with these legends separated horizontally by the mint mark “BP.” on the left and the date “2026” on the right.
Back: The back shows the central motif from the front of the gold florin minted by King Matthias I, depicting the Virgin Mary with the Baby Jesus to her right. The circular legend at the top on the back reads “I. MÁTYÁS ARANYFORINTJA” (Gold florin of Matthias I), with the dates of his reign “1458” and “1490” sharing the first two digits, and the master mark of
the coin’s designer Fanni Király to the left. The slightly raised bottom field on the back bears the legend “MATHIAS REX” (King Matthias) in two lines, as well as a raven perched on a branch with a ring in its beak, which features in the Hunyadi family’s coat-of-arms.
the coin’s designer Fanni Király to the left. The slightly raised bottom field on the back bears the legend “MATHIAS REX” (King Matthias) in two lines, as well as a raven perched on a branch with a ring in its beak, which features in the Hunyadi family’s coat-of-arms.
