30,000 forint – 30th anniversary of the political transition

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank will issue a silver collector coin of exceptionally high denomination, with a face value of 30,000 forints entitled ‘30 Years of Freedom' on 2 May 2020, to honour the 30th anniversary of the first meeting of the National Assembly elected freely for the first time in Hungary. This collector coin and its 3,000-forint non-ferrous version aim to raise public awareness of the significance of the political transition in Hungary and the process of how a free, independent, democratic Hungary came into being. The collector coin was designed by the artist Balázs Bitó. To honour the 30th anniversary of the political transition, the MNB will issue silver and non-ferrous metal collector coins of exceptionally large dimensions, with a diameter of 59.75 mm. The collector coin commemorates the entire peaceful process of political transition in Hungary, highlighting the most crucial events. The collector coin recalls that the unified political opposition, legitimised by mass demonstrations, struggled hard to achieve free elections through negotiations in 1989. As a result, the Hungarian Parliament was established on 2 May 1990 and the first Government of Hungary, led by József Antall, was formed. When the last Soviet solider left Hungary on 19 June 1991, the goals for which the heroes of 1956 sacrificed so much were finally realised, as Hungary became a free, independent and democratic country. The ‘30 Years of Freedom’ collector coins are legal tender in Hungary, but they do not serve circulation purposes. Their primary role is to raise awareness and offer education. With this coin, the MNB seeks to highlight the significance of the political transition and the cornerstones of the establishment of a free, independent and democratic Hungary. The silver and the non-ferrous metal versions have the same design, the only difference being their denominations. The central motif on the obverse of the coin stems from an iconic, 1989 election campaign poster by István Orosz, showing the new coat of arms crushing the old one which was valid before 11 July 1990, adapted to the coin’s design. The compulsory elements of collector coins are found in the outer ring on an elevated plane: in the upper legend the lettering ‘MAGYARORSZÁG' (Hungary), in the lower legend the denominations 30,000 FORINT and 3,000 FORINT also referring to the anniversary, to the left, on the horizontal middle line the mint mark ‘BP.’ containing a security element, and on the left the mint year, 2020.