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Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849) was a Hungarian poet, revolutionary, a national hero, one of the most iconic figures of Hungarian literature and culture In his short life, the internationally renowned poet wrote nearly a thousand poems, and was one of the first literary figures who managed to make a living from his writings. He was one of the leading figures of the ‘Young people of March’, a dominant figure in the 1848-1849 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence.
To mark the bicentenary of Sándor Petőfi’s birth, the Hungarian Mint is issuing its first ever 200-forint commemorative circulation coin, as well as a particularly large silver collector coin of 30,000 forints and its 7,500-forint copper-nickel version.
In addition to the bicentenary, the collector coins also focus attention on the 175th anniversary of the start of the 1848–1849 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence. Their primary role is to commemorate Sándor Petőfi's achievements in literature and his efforts in the revolution, without any role in cash circulation. Featuring the same theme, the silver and non-ferrous metal coins have the same design, the only difference being their denominations.
The ‘Petőfi Sándor és az 1848–49-es forradalom és szabadságharc’ (Sándor Petőfi and the 1848-1849 Revolution and War of Independence) collector coins show the interconnection of Petőfi's literary and revolutionary activities. The central motif on the front features the printing press of the Landerer and Heckenast printing house, which, in addition to the 12 points of the Hungarian Revolutionaries of 1848, also reproduced one of Petőfi's best-known poems, the Nemzeti dal (National Song), an outstanding piece of poetry from the 19th-century Hungary. The edge of the obverse of the coin is interrupted by the page running off the printing press, on which the first two stanzas of the National Song, one of the first products of the free press, are printed. As well as being a true curiosity, the running out to the edge relief vividly captures the poem's idea of independence, which remains relevant to this day.
Referring to the time of the outbreak of the revolution, the year 1848 is hidden in the image of the printing press. The compulsory design elements of collector coins are also placed on the obverse: the inscription ‘MAGYARORSZÁG’, the denominations 30,000 and 7,500 FORINT, the mint mark ‘BP.’ and the mint year ‘2023’, as well as the designer’s mark of sculptor Zoltán Kovács, who designed the obverse.
On the reverse of the collector coin ‘Petőfi Sándor és az 1848–49-es forradalom és szabadságharc’, Petőfi's iconic literary figure takes a leading role, with a quotation that can be interpreted as the poet's credo and the motifs reinforcing it. On the reverse, a portrait of the ‘fiery poet‘ based on an 1846 ink drawing by Miklós Barabás is seen. To the right of the portrait, in two lines, the inscription ‘PETŐFI SÁNDOR’ is shown with a handwritten quotation from his poem ‘A természet vadvirága’ (The Wildflower of Nature): ‘A korláttalan természet Vadvirága vagyok én’ (I am the wildflower of nature without boundaries), which is elegantly decorated with wildflower illustrations surrounding the right edge. On the left edge of the reverse, in a legend, the years 1823-1849 are placed, indicating the years of birth and death of Sándor Petőfi, and hidden in the poet's clothing is the designer’s mark of artist Andrea Horváth, who designed the reverse.
Proof .925 silver 6,000 issue limit 52.5 mm 77.75 g
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