3 October 2023
The Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a non-ferrous metal collector coin of 3,000 forints named ‘Erdélyi kopó’ (Transylvanian Hound) on 4 October 2023, on World Animal Day. This collector coin depicting the characteristics of the Transylvanian Hound is the fifth in the series of Hungarian shepherd and hunting dog breeds launched in 2019, following the Hungarian Vizsla, the Komondor, the Hungarian Greyhound and the Mudi. The collector coin was designed by applied artist András Szilos.
In 2004, all domestic dog breeds, including the Transylvanian Hound, were declared national treasures by the Parliament. And in 2017, this hunting dog was added to the Hungaricum Collection, along with eight other indigenous dog breeds. The Transylvanian Hound may have arrived in the Carpathian Basin with our conquering ancestors. The perseverance, intelligence and exceptional orientation skills of this breed were shaped by environmental factors and hunting demands, and these dogs were bred by hunters themselves. Their glorious days date back to the Middle Ages, when they were popular helpers in royal and aristocratic hunts, in addition to greyhounds and vizslas. The Transylvanian Hound was mainly used for battues. As a result of the social, economic and political changes following World War II, this breed became neglected and the number of purebreds declined continuously. From 1968, Transylvanian Hound began to be bred again by an increasing number of people. By now, the breed has become stable, but it is still listed as endangered.
The Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing a non-ferrous metal collector coin of 3,000 forints named ‘Erdélyi kopó’ as the fifth addition to the collector coin series presenting Hungarian shepherd and hunting dog breeds. In 2019, the series was launched with the Hungarian Vizsla commemorative coin as the first piece, then each year a new piece was added, in 2020 the Komondor, in 2021 the Hungarian Greyhound and last year the Mudi were featured on a collector coin. The pieces of the series represent the versatility and excellent qualities of the Hungarian shepherd and hunting dog breeds, and do not have a role in cash circulation.
The ‘Erdélyi kopó’ collector coin follows the motif choice that characterises the series: the dog is depicted on the obverse as a single figure, while on the reverse it is placed in a scene typical of the breed.
The central motif of the obverse is a half-length image of a Transylvanian Hound, which reflects the character of the breed, its clever and courageous nature. The compulsory elements of collector coins are placed on the observe: in an upper legend the inscription ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’ (Hungary) referring to the issuer, to the right of the representation of the dog, in two lines the lettering ‘3000 FORINT’ indicating the denomination, the minting year ‘2023’, and the mint mark ‘BP.’ citing the place of issuance.
The reverse of the coin shows a hunting scene of two Transylvanian Hounds chasing a boar in a densely overgrown field. The coin side features the lettering ‘ERDÉLYI KOPÓ’ in an upper legend. The designer's mark of applied artist András Szilos is seen in the bottom right part on the reverse.
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The ‘Erdélyi kopó’ collector coin |
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Obverse: |
Reverse: |
The non-ferrous metal collector coin is minted from an alloy of copper (75%), nickel (4%) and zinc (21%). It weighs 16 grams and it is 34 mm in diameter and has a reeded edge. The collector coins are issued in limited quantities: a total of 20,000 coins will be produced in proof-like finish.
To promote the collector coins' value transferring and educational role as widely as possible the ‘Erdélyi kopó’ collector coin will be available for purchase for one year from the date of the issuance, at their face value until stocks last, in the coin shop of Hungarian Mint Ltd., the producer and the distributor of the coins (Budapest, distr. V, 7 Báthory street) and in the webshop on the company’s website (https://www.penzvero.hu) from 4 October 2023.