Obverse. Photo © Magyar Nemzeti Bank
  • 30 000 Forint 2024, Hungary, Lajos Batthyány and the 13 Martyrs of Arad
  • 30 000 Forint 2024, Hungary, Lajos Batthyány and the 13 Martyrs of Arad
Description

Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár (1807–1849) served as Hungary's first Prime Minister. Rising to prominence in Hungarian politics during the period leading up to and amid the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Batthyány initially pursued a military career before advocating for Hungarian autonomy within the Austrian Empire. Upon his election to the Hungarian Diet in 1847, he emerged as a leading voice for reform. Appointed by Lajos Kossuth as Hungary's inaugural Prime Minister during the revolution, Batthyány spearheaded modernization initiatives, such as abolishing serfdom and establishing a national guard. However, escalating tensions with Austrian authorities led to his resignation in December 1848. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested on charges of treason, swiftly tried, and executed in March 1849, solidifying his legacy as a martyr of the revolution.

The 13 heroic Hungarian generals of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence were executed in Arad on October 6, 1849. On the same day in Pest, Hungary’s first constitutional Prime Minister, count Lajos Batthyány, was also put to death. The executions, scheduled to coincide with the first anniversary of the 1848 Vienna uprising and the assassination of Imperial Minister of War Theodor Baillet von Latour, marked the peak of reprisals following the suppressed struggle for independence. Acting under the orders of Haynau, who held absolute power in Hungary, the military leaders who fought for Hungarian national independence and self-determination were sentenced to death by bullet and rope.

Engraver: István Kósa

Obverse

Depicts on the left side a stylized representation of a kopjafa (a Hungarian memorial post), with the year "1849" marking the year of the martyrs' executions at the top. Below, in order of execution, are the names of the 13 Martyrs of Arad, arranged in pairs across two rows: "Arisztid Dessewffy, Vilmos Lázár, József Schweidel, Ernő Kiss, Ernő Poeltenberg, Ignác Török, György Láhner, Károly Knezich, József Nagysándor, Károly Leiningen-Westerburg, Lajos Aulich, János Damjanich, Károly Vécsey." The year of issue "2024" is positioned below.

On the right side, there is a depiction of a detail from the Arad Liberty Statue, a work by sculptor György Zala. Along the upper-right edge, the inscription "MARTYRS OF ARAD" can be read, with the engraver's privymark at the center bottom.

ARADI VÉRTANÚK
1849
DESSEWFFY ARISZTID, LÁZÁR VILMOS, SCHWEIDEL JÓZSEF, KISS ERNŐ, POELTENBERG ERNŐ, TÖRÖK IGNÁC, LÁHNER GYÖRGY, KNEZIĆ KÁROLY, NAGYSÁNDOR JÓZSEF, LEININGEN-WESTERBURG KÁROLY, AULICH LAJOS, DAMJANICH JÁNOS, VÉCSEY KÁROLY
2024
Ki

Reverse

Depicts a half-length portrait of count Lajos Batthyány, based on the painting by Miklós Barabás. To the left of the portrait, the inscription "HUNGARY" appears in a circular arrangement. To the right, in three lines, are the denomination, the word "FORINT," and the mint mark "BP." Additionally, Batthyány Lajos's signature is displayed vertically.

MAGYARORSZÁG
30000
FORINT
BP.

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 77.76 g
Diameter 52.5 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Budapest Mint (BP)

Related coins

Lajos Batthyány and the 13 Martyrs of Arad

Bi-Metallic, 9 g, ⌀ 28.3 mm

Lajos Batthyány and the 13 Martyrs of Arad

Cupronickel, 76.5 g, ⌀ 52.5 mm