1 korona 1919
About This Note
This is a Hungarian 1 korona voucher from June 10, 1919, issued by the Ganz Factory Workers' Council during the brief Hungarian Soviet Republic period. The note features striking Art Nouveau design with a crowned allegorical portrait, ornate decorative borders, and a Budapest cityscape, printed in brown and cream tones on paper showing appropriate age-related patina. The AU condition grade reflects the note's largely uncirculated state with only minor aging, making it an exceptional example of this short-lived revolutionary-period scrip.
Uncommon to scarce. This is an unlisted Pick number representing a specific factory voucher issue from the Hungarian Soviet Republic, a government that lasted only 133 days (March 21 - August 1, 1919). The Ganz Factory was a major industrial concern, but voucher issues from this period were typically produced in limited quantities for internal use and many were destroyed or lost. The AU condition grade is relatively uncommon for surviving examples, as most specimens show heavier circulation or storage damage. The historical significance and specialized nature of this scrip keeps it from being 'common,' though it is not exceptionally rare.
This voucher was issued during the Hungarian Soviet Republic (March-August 1919), a turbulent period when workers' councils seized control of major industries including the Ganz Factory, one of Hungary's largest industrial enterprises. The inscription 'Workers of the World Unite' and the signatures of the Workers' Council President and Production Commissioner reflect the revolutionary socialist ideology of the period. The voucher's function as factory scrip redeemable for supplies demonstrates how revolutionary authorities attempted to control production and distribution during this brief communist experiment.
The front features an allegorical crowned female figure in profile facing left, representing either Liberty or Hungary, with an elaborate spiked/ray crown rendered in fine detail characteristic of Art Nouveau aesthetics. Below the portrait is a cityscape depicting Budapest's industrial architecture, reflecting the note's origin at the Ganz Factory complex. The denomination '1' is prominently displayed on the right side, flanked by decorative cartouches containing fleur-de-lis symbols in the corners. The entire design is framed with ornamental scrollwork and floral motifs typical of early 20th-century Hungarian graphic design. The reverse is blank, as was common for factory vouchers of this period. The color scheme of brown and cream was achieved through period printing techniques suited to voucher production.
FRONT SIDE: 'IMALAG PROLETARJAI EGYSÉGÜLTEK' (Workers of the World Unite) / 'UTALVÁNY' (Voucher) / '1' (One) / 'KORONÁRÓL' (Of a Crown) / 'AZAZ EGY KORONÁRÓL' (That is of one crown) / 'ANYELYNEK ELLENÜREN A GANZ-TŐZSGYÁR MUNKÁSAI AZ ELLÁTÁSI OSZTÁLYBAN EGY KORONA ÉRTÉKBEN VÁSÁROLHATNAK' (By which the workers of the Ganz Factory can purchase to the value of one crown in the supply department) / 'BUDAPEST-1919-JUNIUS 10-' (Budapest - 1919 - June 10) / 'MUNKÁSTANÁCS ELNÖKE' (Workers' Council President) - signed by Hindt / 'TERMELŐ BÍZTOSV' (Production Commissioner) / 'MUNKÁSTANÁCS ALELNÖKE' (Workers' Council Vice President) - signed by Ábény. BACK SIDE: No inscriptions visible.
Fine line engraving with subsequent intaglio printing, evident from the detailed portraiture, ornate borders, and the fine horizontal line patterns visible throughout the note's surface. The security features include multiple engraved elements, detailed portraiture, and ornamental borders designed to discourage counterfeiting. The printer for this specific voucher issue is not recorded in the Pick catalog, as these were often produced by local printing houses contracted by the issuing authority. The technical execution suggests a skilled engraver familiar with contemporary Austrian or Hungarian printing traditions.
This specific issue is dated June 10, 1919, during the middle of the Hungarian Soviet Republic's tenure. The signatures of Hindt (Workers' Council President) and Ábény (Workers' Council Vice President and Production Commissioner) are integral to this voucher's identification. No serial numbers are apparent on the front side of this example. The Pick catalog lists this as 'unlisted,' indicating it may represent an unrecorded or undocumented variety within the broader category of Hungarian Soviet Republic vouchers. Collectors should note variations in signature presence, date variants, and possible differences in printing runs, as these vouchers were issued multiple times during the republic's brief existence.
