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On November 25, the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) issued a collector's coin to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Hungarian Athletic Club, a club that has trained several Olympic champions and world-renowned athletes.
The legacy of the Magyar Athletikai Club: the cradle of modern Hungarian sport
When Miksa Esterházy decided to found the Magyar Athletikai Club (MAC) in 1875, he could hardly have imagined that this initiative—inspired by the British athletic clubs he had encountered on his travels—would become the driving force behind the birth of modern sport in Hungary. The MAC quickly established itself as a symbol of innovation, discipline, and excellence, attracting young athletes eager to explore physical activities previously unknown in the country.
From its earliest years, the club was defined by its pioneering spirit. It didn't limit itself to athletics, but opened its doors to an ever-expanding range of disciplines: swimming, boxing, fencing, rowing, gymnastics, football… At its peak, MAC encompassed 21 different sports.
That drive soon bore fruit. With a rigorous training method and a strong institutional identity, the club transformed into a true breeding ground for champions. Its ranks included figures who would bring international prestige to Hungary, leaving an important legacy: 18 Olympic champions and a total of 63 gold medals accumulated by its members in the Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships.
The MAC didn't just train athletes; it shaped a culture. Its colors, crest, and facilities became landmarks for generations of Hungarians who discovered, thanks to this club, that physical activity could also be a symbol of progress, national pride, and modernity. Its football section, founded in 1895, was one of the first in the country, and its fencing school achieved international renown, producing some of the best fencers in Hungarian history.
However, the club's fate took an abrupt turn after World War II. In 1946, the new political authorities dissolved it and confiscated its facilities, bringing to an end more than seven decades of uninterrupted activity. Even so, neither its official dissolution nor the passage of time has erased its legacy. Magyar Athletikai Club remains in the collective memory as a vital institution, responsible for introducing organized sport to Hungary and laying the foundations for many of the sporting successes the country would celebrate in the years that followed.
Obverse
The obverse of the coin features the logo of the Hungarian Athletic Club, with an athletics track in the background. The design also includes: the semicircular legend “MAGYARORSZÁG” (HUNGARY) at the top; to the left, the face value “3000 FORINT”; and the year of issue “2025” and the mint mark “BP” (Budapest) on the right side of the composition.
Reverse
On the back of the piece is the portrait of Count Miksa Esterházy, founder and first president of the club. To the right of this, in five lines, appears the commemorative legend "150 ÉVES A GRÓF ESTERHÁZY MIKSA ÁLTAL ALAPÍTOTT MAGYAR ATHLETIKAI CLUB ÉS A MAGYAR VERSENYSPORT" (150th anniversary of the Hungarian Athletic Club and Hungarian Competitive Sports, founded by Count Miksa Esterházy).
The mark of the coin's designer, Zoltán Endrődy, is located in the lower right corner of the design.
Technical specifications
Year: 2025
Face value: 3,000 forints
Composition: Cupronickel
Weight: 30.80 g
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Quality: Proof
Design: Zoltán Endrődy
Print run: 5,000
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