2000 Forint 2013, Hungary
| in Krause book | Number: 190 |
| Years of issue: | 2013 |
| Edition: | 21 900 000 |
| Signatures: | Dr. Karvalits Ferenc; Simor András; Dr. Király Júlia |
| Serie: | Second Series |
| Specimen of: | 01.02.1998 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 154 x 70 |
| Printer: | Magyar Pénzjegynyomda, Budapest |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Security thread. Gabriel Bethlen (de Iktár).
Avers:
Gabriel Bethlen (de Iktár) (Bethlen Gábor, Romanian: Gabriel Bethlen, German: Gabriel Bethlen von Iktár, 1580 - 15 November 1629) was a Protestant King of Hungary (1620-1621), Prince of Transylvania (1613-1629) and Duke of Opole (1622-1625) who led an anti-Habsburg insurrections in Royal Hungary. Bethlen is accused of duplicity in his foreign affairs.
The engraving on the note is made, probably, from a picture of Prince Gabor (the author I could not determined), which based on an engraving on copper of the "Theatrum Europaeum" made in 1662.
A little more about Bethlen_Gabor:
In 1605, Bethlen supported István Bocskay and later, his successor Gabriel Báthory (1608-1613). Bethlen then fell out with Bathory and fled to the Ottoman Empire. In 1613, after the murder of Bathory, the Ottomans installed Bethlen as Prince of Transylvania and this was endorsed on 13 October 1613 by the Transylvanian Diet at Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca). In 1615, after the Treaty of Nagyszombat, Bethlen was recognised by Mathias, Holy Roman Emperor.
Bethlen's rule was one of patriarchal enlightened absolutism. He developed mines and industry and nationalised many branches of Transylvania's foreign trade. His agents bought goods at fixed prices and sold them abroad at profit. In his capital, Bethlen built a grand new palace, the Gyulafehérvár (Alba Iulia). Bethlen was a patron of the arts and the Calvinist church, giving hereditary nobility to Protestant priests. Bethlen also encouraged learning by founding the Bethlen Gabor College, encouraging the enrolment of Hungarian academics and teachers and sending Transylvanian students to the Protestant universities of England, the Low Countries, and the Protestant principalities of Germany. He also ensured the right of serf's children to be educated.
On the left side is Hungarian coat of arms.
The current coat of arms of Hungary was reinstated on July 3, 1990, after the end of communist rule. The arms have been used before, both with and without the Holy Crown of Hungary, sometimes as part of a larger, more complex coat of arms, and its elements date back to the Middle Ages.
The shield is split into two parts:
The dexter (left side from the viewer's point) features the so-called Árpád stripes, four Argent (silver) and four Gules (red) stripes. Traditionally, the silver stripes represent four rivers: Duna (Danube), Tisza, Dráva, and Száva.
The sinister (right side from the viewer's point) consists of an Argent (silver) double cross on Gules (red) base, situated inside a small Or (golden) crown, the crown is placed on the middle heap of three Vert (green) hills, representing the mountain ranges (trimount) Tátra, Mátra, and Fátra.
There are many myth ans legends about curved cross on the top of St.Stefan crown. But here is one of them, mostly known.
"What could have caused this damage, and when? In studying the history of the Holy Crown, were found the following: When King Albert died in 1439, his wife was already pregnant with the boy who would become László V. To secure the Crown for her son, she instructed her lady-in-waiting, the wife of Kottaner János, to steal it from Visegrád, where it was kept. She arranged the theft, packed the Crown in a large red velvet pillow, and covered it with cowhide. Then they took the Crown to Komárom, and from there to Székesfehérvár, where they crowned the 3-month old infant with it. The Queen, however, still would not relinquish the Crown, and instructed the same lady-in-waiting to take it to Győr. As Kottaner Jánosné wrote in her journal:
“I took the Holy Crown, and wrapped it very well in a shawl, and placed it in the cradle, among straw, because his highness did not sleep on feathers yet, and I also put a large spoon next to him, with which one usually amuses children. I did this so that, should anyone reach into the cradle, he should think there was something there with which one amuses the noble king. At that time, no one knew of this, except my gracious lady and myself.”
The cradle was placed on a cart, and the little king was placed in it. On the way, the infant was often taken out and placed back in. An infant’s weight corresponds perfectly with the pressure estimated by Gyergyai. In addition, the first repairs made to the Holy Crown correspond to the methods used around 1440." (Magyar news)
Top left is guilloche window.
On the left side is hologram strip with Hungarian coats of arms.
Denominations in numerals are top and bottom right. In center in words.
Revers:
The paint of Madarász Viktor "Gábor Bethlen among his Scientists".
Madarász Viktor (December 14, 1830 - January 10, 1917) was a Hungarian romantic painter.
He was a private soldier first, then a lieutenant in the war of independence fought against the Hapsburgs in 1848-49 which was a major experience for him all through his life. He dedicated his art to the idea of independence and recalled the heroic and tragic memories of Hungarian history. After the war of independence had been defeated, he lived in exile, then took up law which he soon gave up for painting. He studied historic painting at the Vienna Academy in 1853-55. "Kuruts and Labanc", his first historic picture came from this time. He enrolled in Waldmüller's private school. "The Dream of the Exiled" marked this period.
From 1856 onwards, he was L. Cogniet's pupil in Paris where he was influenced by academic-romantic representatives of historic painting, in particular by Delaroche's art. His major works come from this perio "Mourning László Hunyadi", "Felicián Zách" and "Ilona Zrínyi in Munkács Castle". He painted the picture "Zrínyi and Frangepán" in 1864, "Dobozi" in 1864, a portrait entitled "Dózsa" in 1867 and "Dózsa's People" in 1868.
He returned to Budapest, but his pictures influenced by French art were not to the taste of Hungarians who had been accustomed to the Vienna style. "Gábor Bethlen among his Scientists", a picture submitted to competition was rejected. After another incidence of injustice in 1873, he retired from painting and was engaged in business. "Petőfi's Death" (1875) demonstrated declining creativity. After he had become bankrupt and his shop had come under the hammer in 1902, he took up painting in 1903. The products of this period were portraits, and some historic compositions lacking mostly liveliness.
His pictures make him one of the greatest Hungarian representatives of romantic-academic historic painting.
Top right is 4 Braille squares for the for the visually impaired.
Denominations in numerals are top and bottom left. Bottom left also in words.
Comments:
Obverse engraver: Vagyoczki K. Del. Et.SC, Palinkas GY. Sc.
Reverse engravers: Vagyoczki K. Del. Et.SC, Palinkas GY. Sc.
The forint's name comes from the city of Florence, where golden coins were minted from 1252 called fiorino d'oro. In Hungary, florentinus (later forint), also a gold-based currency, was used from 1325 under Charles Robert and several other countries followed its example.
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