New addition to the series of collector coins presenting the saints of the Árpád dynasty

23 July 2024

On 24 July 2024, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a gold collector coin with an exceptionally high face value of 100,000 forints and its non-ferrous metal version of 3,000 forints, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the birth of Saint Kinga of Hungary. The collector coin is issued as the fourth piece in the coin series presenting the saints of the Árpád dynasty, following the Saint Margaret of Hungary, the Saint Irene of Hungary and the Saint Elizabeth of Hungary coins. The Saint Kinga collector coins were designed by sculptor Tamás E. Soltra.

Saint Kinga, patron saint of salt mines, was the firstborn child of King Béla IV of Hungary and Byzantine imperial princess Maria Laskarina, sister to Saint Margaret and Blessed Jolenta, wife of Bolesław V, Duke of Poland. She is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.

Ever since her childhood, Saint Kinga had been deeply religious and was thus inspired to take a vow of chastity in her youth that she upheld in her marriage. In 1241, she supported the defence against the Tatars with the entirety of the dowry she brought into her marriage. After the Tatar invasion, she opened a salt mine with her husband in Wieliczka, near Kraków, with Hungary sending salt miners. This is referenced by one of the most widely known legends about Saint Kinga, the story of the engagement ring that fell into the pits of the Máramaros Salt Mine, which - in a miraculous twist - the miners found in the Wieliczka Salt Mine. She had monasteries, churches and hospitals built from the proceeds of the salt mine. This is how the monastery of Ószandec (Stary Sącz) was built, where Saint Kinga retired to after her husband's passing, to lead a contemplative life up until her own death.

To honour the 800th anniversary of the birth of Saint Kinga of the Árpád dynasty, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a gold collector coin with a face value of 100,000 forints and its non-ferrous metal version of 3,000 forints, as the fourth piece in the series presenting the saints of the Árpád dynasty. The primary role of collector coins is to transfer value and raise awareness; therefore, they are not to be used in everyday payments. The face value of the coins serves to preserve the value the coins represent to collectors.

The obverse of the collector coin features the representation of Saint Kinga of the Árpád dynasty - as inspired by Dávid Tóth's public statue - with a lily in her left hand. To the left, there is a net of vertical stripes leading to the representation of an engagement ring, with a stylised image of the opening of a salt mine below it. On the left side of the obverse, parallel with the net of stripes, is the inscription 'ÁRPÁD-HÁZI SZENT KINGA' (SAINT KINGA OF THE HOUSE OF ÁRPÁD); on the right, in a semi-circular legend around the representation of the lily, is the inscription 'MAGYARORSZÁG' (HUNGARY); below, in two lines, the inscriptions '1224' and '1292', denoting the year of birth and death of Saint Kinga, are placed.

The reverse of the collector coin features a depiction of a detail of the monastery building of Ószandec (Stary Sącz), with a representation of the engagement ring inside, which is surrounded by a salt crystal motif; below, the inscription reads 'ÓSZANDEC'. On the edge of the reverse, the denominations '100000' and '3000' and the lettering 'FORINT' are placed in an upper circular legend; the mint year '2024' appears horizontally on the left side and the mint mark 'BP.' on the right side; underneath, embedded in the salt crystal motif, the inscription reads 'WIELICZKA'. Below is the master mark of the designer Tamás E. Soltra, who made the legend of the engagement ring the focus of the composition, thereby creating harmony between the two sides of the coin.

Obverse of the 'Árpád-házi Szent Kinga' collector coin

[Link] Gold coin

[Link] Non-ferrous metal coin

Reverse of the 'Árpád-házi Szent Kinga' collector coin

[Link] Gold coin

[Link] Non-ferrous metal coin

Both collector coins are of the same diameter of 22 mm, and their edges are smooth. The collector coin with a face value of 100,000 forints is struck in 986 fine gold and weighs 6.982 grams (2 ducats). The non-ferrous metal coin with a face value of 3,000 forints is produced from an alloy of copper (75%), nickel (4%) and zinc (21%) and weighs 4.2 grams. 2,000 pieces can be made of the gold collector coin in proof finish and 5,000 pieces of the non-ferrous version in BU finish.

In order to promote the role of the collector coins to transfer value and raise awareness as widely as possible, the 'Árpád-házi Szent Kinga' non-ferrous metal collector coin will be available for purchase at face value for a year from the date of issue, from 24 July 2024, while stocks last, in the coin shop (Budapest, 5th distr., Báthory u. 7.) and the webshop (https://www.penzvero.hu/) of the Hungarian Mint, the producer and distributor of the coins.

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