The Hungarian Money Museum and Visitor Center has taken part in a unique exhibition. The institution which manages the numismatic collection of the Central Bank of Hungary, has enriched the exhibition entitled "The Gold of Princes – Representing the sovereigns of Transylvania", which opened in Csíkszereda on the 16^th of April, with nearly 210 items of its own treasures.

On the 16^th of April in 2024, Csíkszereda: In early modern Europe, the portrait of the ruler could be seen by the political elite in paintings, middle classes and the bourgeoisie could see the ruler printed engravings, and in the common people could see their ruler’s face on the coins they used. When princes came to power, they minted new coins with their own portraits.

The aim of the exhibition entitled “The Gold of Princes – Representing the sovereigns of Transylvania” is to showcase the representation of the Transylvanian princes’ power, primarily through the coins they minted, supplemented by the objects that can be observed on the depictions on the coins (coats of arms, weapons, armour, insignia of power).

The Central Bank of Hungary’s contribution

The Transylvanian thaler collection from the 16th-17th centuries, which the Central Bank purchased from art collector and gallery owner István Törő in 2015, is outstanding in both value and significance among the acquisitions in the history of the Central Bank of Hungary. These were on display for the first time in 2016 in an exhibition entitled “Silver of Fairyland” in the domed hall of the Hungarian National Museum.

In view of the great success, a travelling exhibition entitled “Princely treasures” was launched in the summer of 2017. Here, the collection was supplemented by Transylvanian gold coins from the collection of the Central Bank of Hungary, alongside the minting tools of the times and Transylvanian princely weapons from the Hungarian National Museum.

The exhibition was opened on the 16^th of April in the castle of Mikó in Csíkszereda, as a result of the cooperation between the Székely Museum of Csík, the Hungarian National Museum and the Hungarian Money Museum and Visitor Center. The exhibition is open until the 15^th of July in 2024.