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Silver Coins celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Madagascar’s Slovakian King:
The life of the legendary story of Maurycy August Benyovszky, (1746 – 1786) an adventurous nobleman who is considered a national hero in Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia is celebrated on silver coins issued for the National Bank of Slovakia.
The year 2026 is the 250th anniversary of Count Benyovszky’s elevation as ‘King of Madagascar’ during one of his most audacious expeditions.
Benyovszky was a participant in the Bar Confederation, an armed association of Polish nobles.
Established at the fortress of Bar, their intention was to defend the Catholic faith and independence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against Imperial Russian encroachment.
He was captured by the Russians and exiled to Kamchatka but escaped and returned to Europe via Macau and Mauritius on a hijacked ship with other fugitives, arriving in France.
In 1773, while in Paris, Benyovszky met the French Foreign Minister who was interested in the proposal of a trading post in Madagascar.
Benyovszky volunteered to represent the French government as an emissary.
Madagascar’s indigenous peoples were not particularly pleased to see these intruders.
After repelling several armed attacks from the native Malagasy people, Benyovszky sent Paris positive reports of his advances in Madagascar.
The tribes eventually proclaimed him as their supreme King or, Ampansacabe in 1776.
Benyovszky sought both to legalise his status with other crowned heads of Europe and find further investment for his settlement.
He left Madagascar and travelled to France as a sovereign monarch but, neither his expectations nor new status was met with approval by the French Court.
Ultimately, the trading post previously supported by Paris was dismantled by order of the French government in June 1779.
It wasn’t until June 1785 when he was able to return once again and was warmly received by the locals.
By January 1786, and anxious about another disruption to trade, the French governor of Mauritius sent a small military force over to Madagascar to deal with Benyovszky.
On the 23rd or 24th May 1786, he was ambushed and killed by these troops, and was buried on the site of his encampment, his adventures and Ampansacabe of Madagascar had come to an ignominious end.
The Silver Coin has been minted by the Kremnica Mint at their facilities in the Slovak town of the same name and designed by Branislav Ronai (obverse) and Miroslav Ronai (reverse).
The Reverse of the 20 Euro Silver Proof & Brilliant Uncirculated Coin Variants features a front-facing head and shoulders portrait of Maurycy Benyovszky, centred along with the depiction of a compass on his left shoulder.
The depiction of Benyovszky is based on an original 18th-century oil-on-canvas painting attributed to an unknown artist.
Just below the portrait is an emblem composed of a Malagasy pilgrim palm plant and a crescent with two stars – symbolic of Benyovszky as King of Madagascar with the year 1776 placed above.
To the left of the portrait is a stylised map of the region of the continent of Africa with Madagascar and Malagasy animal, the zebu, superimposed over the map and, to the right is the coins’ denomination "20 EURO:.
Along the upper left and right periphery is the text "MÓRIC" and "BEŇOVSKÝ" and placed below Benyovszky’s image is the additional text "KRÁĽ MADAGASCARU? ("King of Madagascar").
The Obverse of the 20 Euro Silver Proof & Brilliant Uncirculated Coin Variants features a historic tall sailing ship on rough waves, centred.
To the left is crest of the Slovak Republic and just to the right is a circular latent image comprising a stylised motif of three linden leaves – an important national symbol in Slovakia, which when the coin is tilted, alternates into the bank's initials "NBS".
Below the ship is the text "SLOVENSKO" and year of issue, "2026".
Each BU and Proof version includes incused edge lettering which reads "• ŠĽACHTIC CESTOVATEĽ DOBRODRUH" ("Aristocrat Traveller Adventurer").
The specifications of the Silver Coin are:
Denomination Metal Weight Diameter Quality Maximum Mintage
20 Euro .900 Silver 33.6 g. 40 mm. BU 3,000 pieces
20 Euro .900 Silver 33.6 g. 40 mm. Proof 7,050 pieces
- Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a custom case branded with the Kremnica Mint’s insignia and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
17) "700th Anniversary of Kingdom's First Gold Florin", Slovaskia: 100 Euro Gold Proof Coins minted by the Kremnica Mint at their facilities in Central Slovakia on behalf of the National Bank of Slovakia mark the minting of the firstn Gold Florin of Slovakia: Date/Year of Coin minting: 25.11.2025
