Watch out! New forint coin introduced – its shape is hexagonal

The Hungarian National Bank introduced a brand new forint coin with a unique shape. Here is how much it is worth.

According to Pénzcentrum, the national bank introduced its brand-new coin yesterday. Its name is “Lovarda” (stable), depicting one of the most imposing buildings of the Buda Castle, the Royal Stables. The coin is made from non-ferrous metals, and enriches the memorial coin series of the National Hauszmann Programme (NHP). HERE is our article about the beautifully renewed Royal Riding Hall in the Buda Castle.

The NHP aims to carry out the rebirth of the Buda Castle District. It comprises the tidying up of public spaces, parks and castle gardens, rebuilding of the Guardhouse and the Riding Hall and the redesigning of the previously demolished buildings. Decision-makers, builders and creators would like to restore the Castle to the people of Hungary and to create a place in the middle of the capital that has a “call”, where everyone can feel at home again, the programme’s website said.

Interestingly, the new, hexagon-shaped coins can be adjusted to one another, forming a unique honeycomb structure. The new coin is worth HUF 3,000 (EUR 7.8) and was designed by Zoltán Endrődy, a well-known Hungarian industrial artist.

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Royal Stables, a jewel of the Buda Castle

The original Royal Stables was built between 1899 and 1901 following the designs of Alajos Hauszmann. In front of it was placed György Vastagh Jr’s statue of a traditional Hungarian herdsman. Before WWI, only the royal family could use it. Between the two world wars, it was opened to the public. During the siege of Budapest in 1944-1945, it was damaged, and the Communists taking power after 1945 demolished it because of ideological reasons. Between 2019 and 2021, the building was beautifully rebuilt. Here are some photos of it:

The “Lovarda” coin is the Hungarian National Bank’s second coin in a series, showing the building renewed in the NHP programme. It aims to draw attention to the jewels of the Buda Castle. Based on the plans, a new coin will appear each year, but they will not play a considerable part in the cash flow.

New coin made of special alloy

The current coin will be unique thanks to its hexagonal shape. As a result, all 3,000 can be adjusted to each other, forming a honeycomb structure. The structure’s advantage is that it provides the maximum surface to the minimum perimeter. Therefore, it is statically very stable.

In the forefront of the coin, you may find the Royal Palace, while on the back, it is the Royal Stables with György Vastagh Jr’s statue. 89% of it is copper, 5% is zink and 1% is tin. That alloy is the so-called Nordic gold. It weighs 20 grammes, and 20,000 will be produced with proof-like technique. Here is a photo of it:

You may buy the new coin for HUF 3,000 until 15 September 2024 in the shop of the Hungarian Mint Ltd near Szabadság Square and on the mint’s webshop (HERE). Furthermore, you may also buy it in the gift shops of the Buda Castle.