Obverse. Photo © Monetnik.ru
  • 500 Forint 2002, KM# 765, Hungary, Hungarian Explorers and Their Inventions, Rubik's Cube by Ernő Rubik
  • 500 Forint 2002, KM# 765, Hungary, Hungarian Explorers and Their Inventions, Rubik's Cube by Ernő Rubik
Description

Ernő Rubik (born 1944), a Hungarian inventor, is renowned for creating puzzles like the Rubik's Cube (1974), Rubik's Magic, Rubik's Magic: Master Edition, and Rubik's Snake. Beyond his puzzle creations, Rubik is actively involved in promoting science education through initiatives such as Beyond Rubik's Cube, the Rubik Learning Initiative, and the Judit Polgar Foundation. These efforts aim to engage students in science, math, and problem-solving from a young age.

Initially trained in sculpture at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest, and later in architecture at the Technical University of Budapest, Rubik's interest in geometric models led to the invention of his iconic cube. As a design professor, he developed the prototype, comprised of 27 wooden blocks, taking a month to solve it himself. The cube, initially a tool for teaching algebraic group theory, gained popularity after its marketing by Konsumex in late 1977. By 1980, over 100 million authorized units of the Rubik's Cube were sold worldwide, along with numerous imitations. Inspired by the cube's success, Rubik established a studio in 1984, which produced another beloved puzzle toy, Rubik's Magic.

Engraver: Zoltán Fülöp

Obverse

Depicts the Rubik's Cube, with the letters "RUBIK" arranged from left to top, and "CUBE" from top to right within the cube's elements. At the topmost visible point of the cube, the year of the Rubik's Cube patent application is displayed, followed by an infinity symbol below it. In the bottom right corner, the engraver's privy mark.

The Rubik's Cube, a 3-D puzzle game, was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architect Ernő Rubik. Originally named the Magic Cube, it was licensed for sale by Pentangle Puzzles in the UK in 1978 and later by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 through businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer. Released globally in 1980, it quickly became an iconic symbol in popular culture, winning the 1980 German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle. By January 2024, around 500 million Rubik's Cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the bestselling puzzle game and toy. The Rubik's Cube was also honored with induction into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 2014.

The classic Rubik's Cube featured six faces covered with nine stickers each, displaying one of six solid colors: white, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow. Some later versions replaced stickers with colored plastic panels to prevent wear and tear. Since 1988, the color arrangement has been standardized, with white opposite yellow, blue opposite green, and orange opposite red, and the colors arranged clockwise. An internal pivot mechanism allows each face to rotate independently, mixing up the colors. To solve the puzzle, each face must be returned to display only one color. The Rubik's Cube's popularity peaked in the 1980s, but it remains widely known and used today, inspiring other puzzles with different numbers of sides, dimensions, and mechanisms. Speedcubers worldwide continue to practice and compete for the fastest solving times in various categories, organized by the World Cube Association since 2003.

RUBIK
KOCKA
1975
Fz

Reverse

Depicts a 7 x 7 square grid featuring the country name (Hungarian Republic) in the first six squares of the top three rows. The year of issue, the mint mark (BP), and the engraver's privy mark are visible in the initial squares of the third and fourth rows. The denomination is shown in the first three squares of the sixth row. The final three squares of the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows depict plastic representations reminiscent of the Rubik's Cube.

MAGYAR
KÖZTÁR
-SASÁG
2002 BP
Fz
500
FORINT

Edge

500 Forint

Third Republic
KM# 765 Adamo# EM183
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Copper Nickel
Weight 14 g
Diameter -
Width 28 mm
Height 28 mm
Thickness 2.1 mm
Shape square
Alignment Medal
Mint
Budapest Mint (BP)

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