4576) The Gold Florin of Matthais I (1443-1490), "MAGYARORSZÁG (Hungary): A Collector Coin issued by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) & Hungarian Mint Ltd featuring the "Aranyforintja"(Gold Florin): Date/Year of Coin issue: 30.06.2026:
Aranyforintja (“Gold Florin of Matthias I”), Hungary (Magyarosach):
The collector coins represent the ninth release of the ‘Hungarian Gold Florins from the Middle Ages’ series. By issuing this coin, the MNB wishes to highlight the values of medieval Hungarian money history and the historic predecessors of our national currency.
Previously issued collector coins of the series presenting the gold forints minted by Charles I (2012), Louis I (2013), Queen Mary (2014), Sigismund (2016), Albert (2018), Vladislaus (2020), John Hunyadi (2022) and Ladislaus V (2024).
Link to the post on King Sigismund on this blog:
The primary role of the collector coins is to raise awareness and promote our national values. Their use in everyday payments is to be avoided, the denomination is intended to preserve the value the coin holds as a collector's item. The silver and non-ferrous metal coins have the same design, the only difference being their denominations.
Matthais I: (1443-1490):
Matthais I (23 February 1443 – 6 April 1490) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490.
He is often called Matthias Corvinus (Hungarian: Hunyadi Mátyás; Romanian: Matia given the epithet "the Just").
After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and adopted the title Duke of Austria in 1487.
He was the son of John Hunyadi, Regent of Hungary, who died in 1456.
In 1457, Matthias was imprisoned along with his older brother, Ladislaus Hunyadi, on the orders of King Ladislaus the Posthumous. Ladislaus Hunyadi was executed, causing a rebellion that forced King Ladislaus to flee Hungary. After the King died unexpectedly,
Matthias's uncle Michael Szilágyi persuaded the Estates to unanimously proclaim the 14-year-old Matthias as king on 24 January 1458. He began his rule under his uncle's guardianship, but he took effective control of government within two weeks.
As king, Matthias waged wars against the Czech mercenaries who dominated Upper Hungary (today parts of Slovakia and Northern Hungary) and against Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, who claimed Hungary for himself.
In this period, the Ottoman Empire conquered Serbia and Bosnia, terminating the zone of buffer states along the southern frontiers of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Matthias signed a peace treaty with Frederick III in 1463, acknowledging the Emperor's right to style himself King of Hungary.
The Emperor returned the Holy Crown of Hungary with which Matthias was crowned on 29 March 1464.
In this year, Matthias invaded the territories that had recently been occupied by the Ottomans and seized fortresses in Bosnia. He soon realised he could expect no substantial aid from the Christian powers and gave up his anti-Ottoman policy.
Matthias introduced new taxes and regularly set taxation at extraordinary levels.
These measures caused a rebellion in Transylvania in 1467, but he subdued the rebels.
The next year, Matthias declared war on George of Poděbrady, the Hussite King of Bohemia, and conquered Moravia, Silesia, and Lusatia, but he could not occupy Bohemia proper.
The Catholic Estates proclaimed him King of Bohemia on 3 May 1469, but the Hussite lords refused to yield to him even after the death of their leader George of Poděbrady in 1471.
Instead, they elected Vladislaus Jagiellon, the eldest son of Casimir IV of Poland.
A group of Hungarian prelates and lords offered the throne to Vladislaus's younger brother Casimir, but Matthias overcame their rebellion.
Having routed the united troops of Casimir IV and Vladislaus at Breslau in Silesia (now Wrocław in Poland) in late 1474, Matthias turned against the Ottomans, who had devastated the eastern parts of Hungary.
He sent reinforcements to Stephen the Great, Prince of Moldavia, enabling Stephen to repel a series of Ottoman invasions in the late 1470s.
In 1476, Matthias besieged and seized Šabac, an important Ottoman border fort. He concluded a peace treaty with Vladislaus Jagiellon in 1478, confirming the division of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown between them. Matthias waged a war against Emperor Frederick and occupied Lower Austria between 1482 and 1487.
Matthias established one of the earliest professional standing armies of medieval Europe (the Black Army of Hungary), reformed the administration of justice, reduced the power of the barons, and promoted the careers of talented individuals chosen for their abilities rather than their social statuses.
Matthias patronised art and science; his royal library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was one of the largest collections of books in Europe. With his patronage, Hungary became the first country to embrace the Renaissance from Italy.
As Matthias "the Just", the monarch who wandered among his subjects in disguise, he remains a popular hero of Hungarian and Slovak folk tales.
A Collector Coin issued by the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) & Hungarian Mint Ltd featuring the Gold Florin of Matthais I:
The Magyar Nemzeti Bank has issued a new collector coin in 2026 honouring King Hungary Matthias I (Mátyás király), featuring his famous medieval gold florin design.
King Matthias I (1458–1490) was one of Hungary’s most celebrated rulers, known for strengthening the kingdom and reforming coinage.
His gold florins were highly respected across Europe for their stability and purity, often imitated by neighbouring states.
The gold collector coin titled ’I. Mátyás aranyforintja’ ("The Gold Florin of Matthias I") in single and in extra-thick version, which is four times the weight of a normal coin.
In line with the tradition of central bank issuances, the non-ferrous metal version of the 50,000 forints precious metal coins is also be issued at a face value of 5,000 forints
The coin was released on 29 June 2026 by the Hungarian Mint and the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), continuing Hungary’s king tradition of commemorating historical rulers through numismatics.
The inscription reads - "MAGYARORSZÁG (Hungary), denomination, mintmark “BP.” (the Mint Mark of the Budapest Mint), and year “2026”.
The Reverse of the 50,000 Forint Gold Coin
Based on the reverse of King Matthias’s original gold florin and is inspired by the obverse of Matthias’s florin.
Shows Virgin Mary with Child Jesus.
The inscription reads - "I. MÁTYÁS ARANYFORINTJA" and reign years “1458–1490”.
On the bottom is inscribed - "MATHIAS REX" and the Hunyadi family Coat of Arms (raven with ring).
The designer of this Coin is Fanni Király.
This coin box can be used with eight 42,50 mm or eight oval coin capsule.
The box has a silk-lined lid and velvet inlay which provides an elegant way to present each encapsulated coin.
Comes complete with a ribbon inside the lid, which can hold a personalised message or certificate of authenticity to make it a perfect coin gift box.
Version Metal Face Value Weight Mintage Design Notes
Gold (1 ducat) .986 fine gold 50,000 HUF 3.491 g 2,000 pcs Smooth edge
Gold (4 ducat) .986 fine gold 50,000 HUF ~13.96 g 500 pcs Edge inscription PATRONA HVNGARIE
Base-metal Copper-nickel-zinc alloy 5,000 HUF — 5,000 pcs Brilliant uncirculated (BU) finish
Links to posts on Hungarian Coins, Currency & Stamps on this Blog:
Rajan Trikha has commented:
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DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Thanks for sharing this informative post."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
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