Ukraine: New silver collector coins feature historic Palanok Castle

The National Bank of Ukraine will issue (26th February) new collector coins which depict one of the country’s most well-known and revered national landmarks, Palanok Castle. The coins are dedicated to the ancient historical and military-architectural monument, one of the most original fortifications of the Middle Ages of Central Europe. For centuries, it reliably protected the city’s inhabitants from enemies.

During its existence, the fortress was rebuilt and refined more than once. The castle was built in the southwest of modern Mukachevo on a mountain of volcanic origin at an altitude of 188 metres (600 feet) above sea level and 68 metres (223 feet) above the central part of the city. The castle complex consists of three parts: The high, middle, and low castle, with the founding cornerstone for the castle having been laid sometime in the 14th century by the members of the Hungarian noble family Aba. The castle was an important fortification of the Kingdom of Hungary, whose borders once stretched into modern-day Ukraine. The castle was later transformed into an impregnable fortress by French engineers after the storming of the Bastille, a famous French prison, after which, the Palanok Castle was used as an all-European political prison.

Throughout the ensuing centuries, the castle served as a residence to many people, including the Koriatovych family for almost 200 years, the Serbian Prince Đurađ Branković, the Regent of Hungary János Hunyadi, and the wife of a Hungarian king, Laiosh Maria, among many others. It was during the ownership of Prince Fedir Koriatovych that the castle became one of the most protected castles in the region. The prince and his family lived in the highest part of the castle, which had lavishly decorated interiors. Hungarian nobleman Francis II Rákóczi (1676–1735) later used the castle as the centre of a war of independence that was led by him. In 1726, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, granted Palanok Castle with the towns of Mukacheve, Chynadiyovo, and 200 additional villages to the Elector Lothar Franz von Schönborn, who had elected and crowned him as von Schönborn and was one of his main political supporters within the Empire.

The estate remained one of the largest in Eastern Europe and was continually owned by the von Schönborn family well into the 20th century. From 1796 to 1897, Palanok Castle was used as a prison and most notably, during 1805–1806, housed the Crown of St. Stephen, one of the most revered symbols of Hungarian nationhood.

At the end of 1944, the municipality of Munkács, now known as Mukachevo, became part of the Soviet Union by a treaty with Czechoslovakia, the previous administration authority. With independence achieved by Ukraine for the second time since the First World War in 1991, the city of Mukachevo was designated as a city of oblast significance, with the status equal to that of a separate raion (district). 

The total area of the castle is currently laid out on 14,000 square metres and consists of 130 different rooms with a complex system of underground passages connecting them together. Today, the castle currently houses a museum dedicated to the history of Mukachevo and the castle itself.

The coins are produced at the Ukrainian Mint at their facilities in Kiev, on behalf of the National Bank, and are designed by Vladimir Taran, Alexander Haruk, and Sergiy Haruk.

The obverse of the coin includes a stylised image of the inner courtyard of the castle, while on the background of the brick entrance gate is the small state emblem of Ukraine under which is the inscription УКРАЇНА (“UKRAINE”). Below, on the background of the cobblestones, is the denomination of 10 (silver coin) or 5 (cupro-nickel), while on the mirrored background is the inscription ГРИВЕНЬ and the year of issue, 2019.

On the reverse is a centred depiction of Palanok Castle and below is a stylised display in the water of the old castle that is based on an image of the castle’s ancient engravings. In the centre is a stylised image of the well in which an antique coin is thrown and from which the circles of water diverge. To the left and right are the inscriptions ЗАМОК and ПАЛАНО (“CASTLE PALANO”), which are bordered above and below with stone masonry and drawbridge chains.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Maximum Mintage
Five hryvnia	Cupro-nickel	16.5 g	35  mm.	Brilliant Unc.	40,000
10 hryvnia	.925 Silver	31.1 g	38.6 mm.	Proof	3,000

The Proof-quality coins are encapsulated and presented in a green National Bank-branded case that is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. For additional information about these coins and others issued by the National Bank of Ukraine, please visit their website. Presently, the National Bank does not sell directly to collectors overseas.

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