'Géza Gárdonyi: Eclipse of the Crescent Moon' collector coin
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Géza Gárdonyi, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank will issue a copper alloy collector coin with a face value of HUF 1,000 on 3 August, the novelist’s birthday. The collector coin ‘Géza Gárdonyi: Eclipse of the Crescent Moon’ will be issued as part of the ‘youth literature’ series. Earlier pieces of the series commemorate the following works of fiction: Sir John by Sándor Petőfi: (2001); The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár (2001); Toldi by János Arany (2001) and Lúdas Matyi by Mihály Fazekas (2001).
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Géza Gárdonyi, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank will issue a copper alloy collector coin with a face value of HUF 1,000 on 3 August, the novelist’s birthday. The collector coin ‘Géza Gárdonyi: Eclipse of the Crescent Moon’ will be issued as part of the ‘youth literature’ series. Earlier pieces of the series commemorate the following works of fiction: Sir John by Sándor Petőfi: (2001); The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár (2001); Toldi by János Arany (2001) and Lúdas Matyi by Mihály Fazekas (2001).
The collector coin was designed by sculptor Gábor Benő Pogány. The legend ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ is inscribed on the upper left edge of the obverse. The right field of the coin bears a portrait of Géza Gárdonyi. The value numeral ‘1000‘, the inscription ‘FORINT’ and the signature of Géza Gárdonyi appear in horizontal lines below each other to the left of the portrait. The mint year ‘2013’ and the mint mark ‘BP.’ are positioned in the centre at the lower edge of the coin.
The reverse of the coin bears a detail of the Women of Eger, a painting by Bertalan Székely. The main female character is positioned in the centre, with a scene from the siege around her. The legend ‘EGRI CSILLAGOK’ is inscribed on the upper part of the painting’s detail. The initials of designer Gábor Benő Pogány are to the right of the legend, near the edge of the coin.
The collector coin is minted from an alloy of copper (75%), nickel (4%) and zinc (21%). It weighs 9.4 grams and it is 29.2 mm in diameter and has a smooth edge.
A total of 10,000 pieces of the collector coin can be produced in proof finish.
The Géza Gárdonyi collector coin can be purchased 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, as well as in the place of issue, in the Géza Gárdonyi Memorial House (3 Sigray utca, Agárd).
