Item: i101488

Authentic Coin of:

Hungary
1939 Silver 2 Pengo 27mm (9.90 grams) 0.640 Silver (0.2058 oz. 
ASW)
Reference: KM# 511, H# 2243, ÉH# 1511 (1929-39) | Engraver: István 
Szentgyörgyi, Vince Pittner
MAGYAR.KIRÁLYSÁG 2 PENGŐ, Coat of arms with 
angels.
MAGYARORSZÁG VÉDASSZONYA, Madonna and Child.

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A
Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child 
Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox 
churches. The word is from Italian ma donna, meaning ‘my lady’. The
Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in Christian iconography, 
divided into many traditional subtypes especially in Eastern Orthodox 
iconography, often known after the location of a notable icon of the type, 
such as the Theotokos of Vladimir, Agiosoritissa,
Blachernitissa, etc., or descriptive of the depicted posture, as in
Hodegetria, Eleusa, etc.

The term Madonna in the 
sense of “picture or statue of the Virgin Mary” enters English usage in the 
17th century, primarily in reference to works of the Italian Renaissance. In 
an Eastern Orthodox context, such images are typically known as Theotokos. 
“Madonna” may be generally used of representations of Mary, with or without 
the infant Jesus, is the focus and central figure of the image, possibly 
flanked or surrounded by angels or saints. Other types of Marian imagery 
have a narrative context, depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin, 
e.g. the Annunciation to Mary, are not typically called “Madonna”.

The earliest depictions of Mary date still to Early Christianity (2nd to 3rd 
centuries), found in the Catacombs of Rome. These are in a narrative 
context. The classical “Madonna” or “Theotokos” imagery develops from the 
5th century, as Marian devotion rose to great importance after the Council 
of Ephesus formally affirmed her status as “Mother of God or Theotokos 
(“God-bearer”) in 431. The Theotokos iconography as it developed in 
the 6th to 8th century rose to great importance in the high medieval period 
(12th to 14th centuries) both in the Eastern Orthodox and in the Latin 
spheres. According to a tradition recorded in the 8th century, Marian 
iconography goes back to a portrait drawn from life by Luke the Evangelist, 
with a number of icons (such as the Panagia Portaitissa) claimed to 
either represent this original icon or to be a direct copy of it. In the 
Western tradition, depictions of the Madonna were greatly diversified by 
Renaissance masters such as Duccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, 
Raphael, Giovanni Bellini, Caravaggio and Rubens (and further by certain 
modernists, such as Salvador Dalí and Henry Moore) while Eastern Orthodox 
iconography adheres more closely to the inherited traditional types.

Hungary 
is a sovereign state in Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and 
is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Romania to the east, Serbia to the 
south, Croatia to the southwest, Slovenia to the west, Austria to the 
northwest, and Ukraine to the northeast. The country’s capital and largest 
city is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, 
the Visegrád Group, and the Schengen Area. The official language is 
Hungarian, which is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in 
Europe.

Following 
centuries of successive habitation by Celts, Romans, Huns, Slavs, Gepids, 
and Avars, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the 
Hungarian grand prince Árpád in the Honfoglalás 
(“homeland-conquest”). His great-grandson Stephen I ascended to the throne 
in 1000 CE, converting the country to a Christian kingdom. By the 12th 
century, Hungary became a middle power within the Western world, reaching a 
golden age by the 15th century. Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and 
about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation (1541-1699), Hungary came 
under Habsburg rule, and later formed a significant part of the 
Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918).

Hungary’s current borders were 
first established by the Treaty of Trianon (1920) after World War I, when 
the country lost 71% of its territory, 58% of its population, and 32% of 
ethnic Hungarians. Following the interwar period, Hungary joined the Axis 
Powers in World War II, suffering significant damage and casualties. Hungary 
came under the influence of the Soviet Union, which contributed to the 
establishment of a four-decade-long communist dictatorship (1947-1989). The 
country gained widespread international attention regarding the Revolution 
of 1956 and the seminal opening of its previously-restricted border with 
Austria in 1989, which accelerated the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.

On 23 October 1989, Hungary again became a democratic parliamentary 
republic, and today has a high-income economy with a very high Human 
Development Index. Hungary is a popular tourist destination attracting 
10.675 million tourists a year (2013). It is home to the largest thermal 
water cave system and the second-largest thermal lake in the world (Lake 
Hévíz), the largest lake in Central Europe (Lake Balaton), and the largest 
natural grasslands in Europe (the Hortobágy National Park).