2019-01-11 Fri

Born in 1088 as Piroska to Saint Ladislas, Saint Irene of Hungary got married to the Byzantine prince, John II Komnenos. The Byzantine Emperor had got his son married to expand his kingdom and increase the number of alliances. After marriage, Piroska got her new name Irene, which means peace. Saint Irene and John II Komnenos had eight children, out of whom, Manuel I Komnenos went on to become an important Hungarian ruler in the mid-12th century.

Piroska never intervened in political matters as a Queen. When the opponents of Coloman from Hungary wanted to take shelter in the Byzantine Empire, Saint Irene supported them. She also received Hungarian delegations and pilgrims to the Holy Land. She was the mediator between Hungary and the Byzantine Empire many times. Irene worked for the poor and sick besides taking care of their medical needs.

The monastery of Christ Pantocrator was founded by the Queen in 1118. It was the world’s largest monastery of its time with a 50-bed hospital. This hospital was an inspiration for later Arab and European hospitals. John II Komnenos finished the construction of this monastery after Irene’s death on 13th August 1134. It became a very popular religious destination in Constantinople during those days. The Eastern Church remembers Irene on the day of her death. A portrait of Irene is featured on an original mosaic in the Hagia Sophia.

The Hungarian Mint is issuing two coins to honour Saint Irene, one in gold and the other in base metal. This will be the second issue in Hungary’s coin-series which honours the saints of the House of Arpad. The first coin honoured Saint Margaret and was issued in 2017.

The obverse side features the monastery of Christ Pantocrator in Constantinople. The reverse side depicts a half-portrait of Saint Irene holding the founding documents of the monastery. This portrait is inspired by the mosaic found in Hagia Sophia. Other inscriptions include Irene’s Hungarian name "Saint Piroska", dates of her birth and death (1088–1134), Greek letters (Eirene) and the Mint Master mark of Fanni Kiraly.

The 6.982 grams .986 fine gold proof coins have a diameter of 22 millimetres and a mintage limit of 2,000 pieces. Each coin can be bought for $575.00. The copper-nickel-zinc brilliant uncirculated 4.2 grams 2,000 forint coin has a mintage limit of 5,000 pieces and can be purchased for $19.95 each.

Image Courtesy: Hungarian Mint