Obverse. Photo © Collector Coins
  • 5000 Forint 2015, Adamo# EM302, Hungary, 425th Anniversary of the Vizsoly Bible
  • 5000 Forint 2015, Adamo# EM302, Hungary, 425th Anniversary of the Vizsoly Bible
Description

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank has issued gold coins with face values of 50,000 and 5,000 forint and a non-ferrous metal coin with a face value of 2,000 forint to commemorate the 425th anniversary of the first complete translation of the Bible into Hungarian.

The Vizsoly Bible, also called Károli Bible, is the oldest complete Bible translated into Hungarian. Translated by Gáspár Károli and his fellow ministers in 1590, and printed with the assistance of Bálint Mantskovits, it holds a significant place in Hungarian cultural heritage. Károli, a Calvinist pastor, began the translation in 1586, completing it in three years with the help of at least three assistants. The printing process, overseen by Mantskovits, began in 1589 and concluded in 1590, despite initial challenges and accusations. This monumental work, preserving its archaic linguistic state, remains a testament to the enduring legacy of Hungarian literature and religious tradition.

Engraver: Horváth Andrea

Obverse

Depicts an initial letter "V" forming inside a square frame. Outside the frame, on the left side, parallel to the edge, "425 YEARS", above "THE VIZSOLY", on the right side, parallel to the edge, "BIBLE", at the bottom, the anniversary year dates "1590-2015" are placed. At the bottom edge, in the center, the engraver's privy mark is visible.

Initials played a significant role in the medieval ornamentation. These initials, known as "historiated initials," were elaborate letters at the beginning of paragraphs or sections. They were often adorned with intricate designs, illustrations, or miniature scenes related to the text or highlighted its importance.

425 ÉVES A VIZSOLYI BIBLIA
1590-2015
HA

Reverse

Depicts the Reformed Church of Vizsoly. Above it, to the right, in a quarter-circle inscription "HUNGARY", in two horizontal rows below the depiction, the denomination and the inscription "FORINT," to the left of the depiction, in two horizontal rows, the year of issue "2015" and the mint mark "BP." are placed.

Vizsoly is a small village in northeast Hungary, where one of the 54 surviving copies of the Bible, known as the Vizsoly Bible after the place of its printing, is on permanent display.

MAGYARORSZÁG
2015
BP.
5000
FORINT

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Gold
Fineness 0.999
Weight 0.5 g
Diameter 11 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Budapest Mint (BP)

Related coins

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