Hungary 1946-BP 5 forint
This specimen was lot 57053 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $80. The catalog description[1] noted, "HUNGARY. 5 Forint, 1946. Budapest Mint. PCGS MS-63." Hungary joined the Axis during World War Two and was rewarded with defeat, devastation and Russian occupation. After several years of confusion, communist rule was imposed in 1949 and an uprising was crushed in 1956. This type was struck to honor Lajos Kossuth (1802-94), leader of the Hungarian revolt against Hapsburg rule in 1848-49. We don't know where the government got the silver to make this coin as Hungary was undergoing hyperinflation in an attempt to dodge paying war reparations to Stalin. Another version (KM 534a) was struck in 1947 that was only 12 g, 0.500 fine silver.
Recorded mintage: 39,802.
Specification: 20 g, 0.835 fine silver, 32 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-534.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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