We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
„Pesti gyep" lóversenybárcák a Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Numizmatikai Gyűjteményében.
- Authors
SZÖLLŐSY, GÁBOR
- Abstract
Among Hungarian horse racing related medals a characteristic group can be identified. The shape and execution of these medals are varied; the illustrations depict a horse or a mounted jockey and carry inscriptions such as Test Turf, 'Debrecen Turf, 'Székesfehérvár Turf' etc. These so-called racing tokens are distinguishing badges which were issued only to selected people who could gain the best seats at the racing course by wearing or displaying these tokens. For the study of racing tokens and the resulting observations the numismatic collections of the Budapest Historical Museum, the Hungarian National Museum and the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture were examined. The current paper only describes the material of the last-mentioned collection in greater depth. In the first three years (1829-31) the Pest tokens were round, bronze-cast, twro- sided medals with rings. The obverse side carried different images. A professional jockey and a herdsman riding side by side suggested that not just gentlemen but also farmers could participate. The mare suckling a foal on the reverse implied that racing served breeding. Between 1832-35 the tokens' shape was changed to oval or rectangular. The tokens were made by stamping, and had therefore become one- sided. The image was now simpler, depicting a galloping horse. Between 1836-41 there was a return to the former cast technique and obverse image. The reverse depicted a peasant ploughing with a horse, again stressing the relation between racing and farming. In 1845 there is again a rectangular, stamped token, with galloping horse, while in 1846-47 a standing horse is depicted. Between 1848-51 no races were held and consequently no tokens were issued. After 1852 only stamped tokens were produced. The 1852 token again shows a galloping horse. In 1862 a new motif appeared: a galloping horse with a jockey. This was repeated with minor differences between 1863-68. It is likely that the use of racing tokens on the Pest course was discontinued after the reorganisations following the Compromise. After the 1850s larger provincial towns also held horse races. Usually no permament race courses were built, but racing tokens were still issued
- Subjects
NUMISMATIC museums; NUMISMATIC private collections; HORSE racing; JOCKEYS; HORSE racing employees; HORSEMEN &; horsewomen
- Publication
Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei, 2012, p305
- ISSN
0521-4238
- Publication type
Article