Featured Austria-Hungary, Hungarian & Hungarian Inflationary Paper Money: 1915 - 1989

Discussion in 'Paper Money' started by krispy, Mar 24, 2010.

  1. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Austria-Hungary Paper Money, Hungarian Paper Money & Hungarian Inflationary Paper Money: 1915 - 1989

    I am pleased to share with the forum my small but growing collection of large and fascinating Hungarian notes that I have collected in recent months.

    To my knowledge, I have no personal lineage or heritage to the country of Hungary and have never visited the country in my travels, although I would like to see the united twin cities of Buda and Pest that are bisected by the Danube but connected by bridges and timeless cultural influences. The history of Budapest is long and complex, yet it is only a fraction of the greater nation, and the diversity of the past and current culture that tie the country together means there's a rich woven fabric of life, history, visual art, design and architectural histories to immerse oneself.

    Likewise, the currency of this region of the world has undergone many, many changes in the last 100 years. This is especially noteworthy after the capital city of Budapest was unified in the 19th Century, from the time of the Austria-Hungary era falling apart after WWI, followed by Hungary's own currency, and then the tumult of WWII bringing about further currency changes, then quickly overcome by the Soviet arrival at the war's end, Hungary becoming a Soviet Republic, a hyper-inflationary period with huge denominational notes being put in effect and further on toward the modern era with yet newer types of currency that once again look back at Hungary's rich past.

    I have overly simplified this introduction to Hungary, the capital of Budapest and the nation's currency, although the link above can provide the reader with a more accurate time line of events and historical figures and landmarks. The extraordinary history of Hungary has provided numerous interesting pieces of currency being created. Some notes bear exquisite vignettes of famed battle heroes, the slain, majestic cities, Patron Saints, Soviet style propaganda, and other subjects, but all are rendered in elaborate muted or high-contrast bright color pallettes. Many are HUGE large sized notes and utilize their format to display these fantastic printed designs. For me these are beautiful works of art done by many past security engravers, designers and craftsmen in the name of their homeland.

    Anyone with Austria-Hungary, Hungarian or Hungarian Inflationary paper to share, do feel free to post your favorites. And please add your knowledge of history, specific details you care to share as well as Pick numbers for the notes if you know them. It would be a great addition to this thread and will help to represent World Currency topics on CoinTalk.

    Enjoy!

    [Please note due to the large number of images to be posted, this thread will open with several posts from me in order to show the different types of currency on this topic.]
     
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  3. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Part 1. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

    1915 10 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1266 583039
    [​IMG]
    1915 10 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1266 583039
    [​IMG]

    1915 10 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1266 571784
    [​IMG]


    1915 10 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1266 571784
    [​IMG]


    1916 1 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - 1607 008348
    [​IMG]

    1916 1 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - 1607 008348
    [​IMG]



    1916 1 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1617 042826
    [​IMG]

    1916 1 Krona AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1617 042826
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Part 2. HUNGARIAN NOTES, 1920 - 1945

    1920 2 Korona HUNGARY 2ab058 *005676
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    1920 2 Korona HUNGARY 2ab058 *005676
    [​IMG]



    1920 100 Korona HUNGARY A014 931153
    [​IMG]

    1920 100 Korona HUNGARY A014 931153
    [​IMG]



    1930 100 Pengo HUNGARY E413 072614 P98
    [​IMG]

    1930 100 Pengo HUNGARY E413 072614 P98
    [​IMG]



    1930 100 Pengo HUNGARY E853 062435 P98
    [​IMG]

    1930 100 Pengo HUNGARY E853 062435 P98
    [​IMG]



    1936 10 Pengo HUNGARY B942 051054

    [​IMG]

    1936 10 Pengo HUNGARY B942 051054
    [​IMG]



    1941 20 Pengo HUNGARY C461 037272 P109

    [​IMG]

    1941 20 Pengo HUNGARY C461 037272 P109
    [​IMG]



    1943 1000 Pengo HUNGARY F081 006235
    [​IMG]

    1943 1000 Pengo HUNGARY F081 006235
    [​IMG]



    1945 500 Pengo HUNGARY K072 090040 P117
    [​IMG]

    1945 500 Pengo HUNGARY K072 090040 P117
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Part 3. HUNGARIAN INFLATIONARY NOTES

    1945 100,000 Pengo HUNGARY M164 075930
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    1945 100,000 Pengo HUNGARY M164 075930
    [​IMG]



    1945 10 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY O162 086652, P123
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    1945 10 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY O162 086652, P123
    [​IMG]



    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R043 015579, P125
    [​IMG]

    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R043 015579, P125
    [​IMG]



    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R105 061491, P125
    [​IMG]

    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R105 061491, P125
    [​IMG]



    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R129 032087, P125
    [​IMG]

    1946 1 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY R129 032087, P125
    [​IMG]



    1946 10 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY (No Serial Number), P123?
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    1946 10 MILLION Pengo HUNGARY (No Serial Number), P123?
    [​IMG]

     
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  6. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Part 4. HUNGARIAN NOTES, 1962 - 1989

    1962 10 FORINT HUNGARY
    (I only have available the face of this note and it's very low resolution)
    [​IMG]



    1986 50 Forint HUNGARY D734 024730 P107f
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    1986 50 Forint HUNGARY D734 024730 P107f
    [​IMG]



    1989 100 Forint HUNGARY B911 041735 P174a
    [​IMG]

    1989 100 Forint HUNGARY B911 041735 P174a
    [​IMG]

     
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  7. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Those Hungarian "inflation words" are tricky. A milliárd is a billion, and if you have a tízmillió milpengő note, that literally means ten million thousandpengő ... They even came up with the term "b.-pengő" later, with the "b" indicating a billion which in English would be a trillion.

    Christian
     
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  8. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Hah! And once you get into those figures my head just starts spinning. Thanks for the lesson Christian!

    I've also read that the largest note ever issued was a Hungarian 100 Quintillion Pengo Note from the same era.
     
  9. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Should be this one (Image from ghidelli.net). Quite "impressive" indeed ...

    [​IMG]

    Christian
     
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  10. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Thanks. I'll be on the look out for one of those, if they are still to be had and not obscenely pricey.
     
  11. RickieB

    RickieB Expert Plunger Sniper

    Krispy..

    What a fantastic presentation of notes and a great read to go along with them.
    All I can say on this is 10 :thumb: up :bow: :bigeyes:

    Just a super job and display!! :) :) :)

    RickieB
     
  12. Dave M

    Dave M Francophiliac

    Inflation is an amazing thing...

    I like the notes, though unfortunately have no additional info to add to the thread as I don't collect the area. Love the image of the dove!

    Dave
     
  13. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Thanks guys! I really appreciate that you guys checked out this thread especially since you are all so much more advanced in the world of currency.

    These notes are really fun for their sizes as well as all the visual designs. Most of them are as big as older US large sized notes. The biggest one I have is the 1943 1000 Pengo note (Pick 116), it features an allegorical portrait of Hungaria on one side and a view of the Danube running between Budapest on the other side. This note is 100mm x 183mm. Another note I really like is one of the smallest, the 1920 2 Korona in monochrome red depicting a man reaping wheat with a scythe. The reverse is very ornate in patterns with a large central "2" in a different color, magneta nested in swirls and patterns also in red ink. It's a very subtle effect that I quite admire. This note measures 75mm x 132m.
     
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  14. lettow

    lettow Senior Member

    Actually, it is this one . . .

    [​IMG]
     
  15. krispy

    krispy krispy

    That makes two more inflationary notes I need to track down... :D
     
  16. mpcusa

    mpcusa "Official C.T. TROLL SWEEPER"


    Nice :)
     
  17. briansutton

    briansutton Junior Member

    That is a very nice collection you have assembled there. I really like the 1941 20 Pengo.

    Brian
     
  18. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Thanks Brian, I really like the woman on the face of this note...

    According to The International Engravers Line by Gene Hessler the 1941 20 Pengo note (P-109) depicts these vignettes by Endre Horvath (1896-1954), who was one of the first engravers hired by the Hungarian Security Printing Works when it was founded in 1925. He moved around Europe from Italy to Belgium practicing art and teaching before returning to the Works in 1933 then called, Penzjegy Nyomda. He was also an engraver of postage stamps. He was a state medal awarded engraver and educator that held several roles and was inspirational to many of his countrymen at the State Security Printing Works:

    • A woman in national costume of Hungary on the face (pg.135),
    • A farming couple with the woman holding a very visible sickle (pg.136)

    I'm uncertain of who engraved the small vignette on the face of the note of the shepherd playing a flute with his flock, or who that figure may represent.
     
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  19. krispy

    krispy krispy

    Thank you lettow

    Due to the generosity of CT member lettow, I am very pleased to be able to include in my Hungarian notes collection four more large denominational inflationary notes issued in 1945/46. Here they are:

    Thank
    you lettow! :thumb:


    1945 1 Millio Pengo HUNGARY - Face


    Depicts the portrait of Lajos Kossuth
    [​IMG]

    1945 1 Millio Pengo HUNGARY - Back

    [​IMG]



    1946 1 Millio Pengo HUNGARY - Face

    Depicts the portrait of Lajos Kossuth
    [​IMG]

    1946 1 Millio Pengo HUNGARY - Back
    [​IMG]



    1946 1 Milliard Milpengo HUNGARY - Face

    Depicts a portrait of a female model
    [​IMG]

    1946 1 Milliard Milpengo HUNGARY - Back
    [​IMG]



    1946 100 SnazMillio Milpengo HUNGARY - Face


    Depicts a portrait of a female model
    [​IMG]

    1946 100 SnazMillio Milpengo HUNGARY - Back


    Reverse image depicts: The House of Parliament - Budapest

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. proofartoncircs

    proofartoncircs Junior Member

    <<Hah! And once you get into those figures my head just starts spinning. Thanks for the lesson Christian!

    I've also read that the largest note ever issued was a Hungarian 100 Quintillion Pengo Note from the same era.>>
    True. THe 10 times larger Egymilliard B.-Pengo was printed but not issued.

    When I was young, The USA and French Billion were the same and the English and German Billion was a thousand times larger.
    Now France has switched to the German System and Britain has switched to the USA system. And it was decades after that all happened before I found out.
     
  21. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Hehe, "now" is a little exaggerated - France switched over to what you call the "German" system 50 years ago. Very roughly you can say that Continental Europe uses the long scale these days, and English speaking countries use the short scale.

    Christian
     
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