Hunglish.orgTest your knowledge of the famous forint faces and learn a few things about who you pass from hand to hand, day in and day out in Hungary. Is it a king, a count, or a prince, maybe all three?
Written by Natalie Jaro
Do you ever wonder who those folks are on the forint bills that trickle in and out of your wallet? This should clear up the obscurity. All together the collection of images are a fine sprinkling of Hungarian princes, kings, one count and two castles, an artist, a famous mansion, a naturalistic scene, the old House of Representatives and a fountain. One of the most prosperous kings in his time, King Charles Robert is on the 200 Hungarian forint bill with the medieval castle of Diósgyor on the back. The 500 forint bill has Prince Ferenc II Rákóczi, the Hungarian aristocrat and leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Hapsburgs in the 1700’s. The castle of Sárospatak is on the reverse side which is the place where the princess of Hungary, Saint Elizabeth, also a Catholic saint, was believed to be born. The 1000 forint bill has the esteemed King Matthias Corvinus with the Hercules fountain on the reverse side from the castle of Visegrad. The 2000 forint displays an image of the past Prince of Transylvania, Gábor Bethlen, and the back of the bill has Viktor Madrász painting “Gábor Bethlen among his scientists". The 5000 forint bill has a portrait of one of the greatest statesmen of Hungarian history, Count István Széchenyi, and on the back, the Széchenyi Mansion where the count once resided. King Stephen I, the first King of Hungary and considered the founder of Hungary, is on the 10000 forint bill. The bill is the second largest bill, with a view of Esztergom, considered the capital of Hungary during the 10th to the 13th centuries. The highest bill, the 20000 forint shows Ferenc Deák, the Hungarian statesman and Minister of Justice, considered in the 1800’s to be the “Wise Man of the Nation” making an appearance and on the other side, the old House of Representatives in Pest. The 200 forint bill will be replaced eventually with the 200 forint coin that was introduced starting in 2009. So now that you’ve met all of those old Hungarian iconic personalities it’s time to start showing your patronage by accumulating and flashing those forints for all to see.