Obverse. Photo © Magyar Nemzeti Bank
  • 15 000 Forint 2021, Adamo# EM446, Hungary, 100th Anniversary of the Referendum in Sopron
  • 15 000 Forint 2021, Adamo# EM446, Hungary, 100th Anniversary of the Referendum in Sopron
Description

On December 14-15, 1921, residents of Sopron and nearby Brennbergbánya, and on December 16, in eight surrounding villages (Ágfalva, Balf, Fertőboz, Fertőrákos, Harka, Kópháza, Nagycenk, and Sopronbánfalva), voted in a referendum to decide whether to remain part of Hungary or join Austria. This vote marked the end of a long dispute over Western Hungary's status, stemming from post-World War I territorial changes. The referendum resulted in Sopron and the eight villages being returned to Hungary on January 1, 1922, as per the Treaty of Venice. This was the only major territorial revision of the Treaty of Trianon accepted by the great powers.

Sopron was subsequently honored with the title "Civitas Fidelissima," or "Most Loyal City." The Hungarian government declared December 14, the first day of the referendum, as the Day of Loyalty.

Engraver: Tamás E. Soltra

Obverse

Depicts a group of voting people, based on a contemporary film recording, with a foreground detail of a stamped contemporary ballot paper inserted into a ballot box slot, featuring the names of the country in Hungarian, German, and Croatian as "Magyarország," "Ungarn," "Ugersko" respectively. Within a rectangular frame above the depiction, on the left side, Sopron's contemporary coat of arms is depicted, while on the right side, the inscriptions "CIVITAS," "FIDELISSIMA," and the years "1921–2021" are arranged in three consecutive rows. At the bottom edge, on the right side, the mint mark is placed within the depiction of the ballot box.

CIVITAS
FIDELISSIMA
1921-2021
MAGYARORSZÁG
UNGARN
UGERSKO

Reverse

Depicts the portrait of Mihály Thurner, former mayor of Sopron. Vertically to the right, the inscription "THURNER MIHÁLY" is visible. To the left of the portrait, vertically, the inscription "THE MOST LOYAL," above the portrait reads "CITY OF SOPRON," to the bottom right corner of the portrait is the mint mark "BP.," and below the portrait is the inscription "HUNGARY." In the lower right corner, within a rectangular frame, is the depiction of Sopron's symbol, the Fire Tower, along with the denomination and the inscription "FORINT."

The baroque onion dome of the Sopron Fire Tower rises to 58 meters and is topped with a double-headed eagle, making it a prominent city landmark. Built on Roman-era ruins in the 13th century, its lower cylindrical section is crowned by a Renaissance balcony added after the 1676 fire. The tower's octagonal upper part features clock faces on four sides, inscribed with the year 1735. The copper dome is topped with a lantern tower and the double-headed eagle weather vane, symbolizing Sopron's coronations. Tradition holds that if the eagle faces north-south, rain is coming.

Originally, a wide carriage entrance beneath the tower led to the Main Square. In 1894, Town Hall construction damaged the tower's foundations, necessitating internal reinforcement with thick brick walls, narrowing the passage to pedestrians only. In February 2011, the Fire Tower underwent comprehensive renovation and structural strengthening, restoring its historic appearance. The tower's balcony offers a panoramic view of the city center, the Lővérek hills, and, on clear days, the Alpine peaks and nearby Fertőrákos.

A LEGHŰSÉGESEBB VÁROS SOPRON
THURNER MIHÁLY
BP.
MAGYARORSZÁG
15000 FORINT

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 31.46 g
Diameter -
Width 38.61 mm
Height 38.61 mm
Thickness -
Shape square
Alignment Medal
Mint
Budapest Mint (BP)

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