MEDIEVAL HUNGARY Matthias Corvinus 1458-1490. AR 16.8mm .69gm Denier

MEDIEVAL HUNGARY Matthias Corvinus 1458-1490. AR 16.8mm .69gm Denier

Obv: + M · MATHIE · R · VNGARIE ·:· Fourfold Hungarian coat of arms: Hungarian Árpád stripes, Hungarian double cross, Dalmatian leopard heads, Bohemian lions. In chest shield Hunyadi crow with ring in peak;

Translation: Money of Mátyás, King of Hungary

Rev: PATRON VNGARIE Crowned Madonna with child separates mintmark

Translation: Patron of Hungary

Ref: Huszár #722

King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and Vlad III Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) shared a volatile, highly complex geopolitical alliance in 15th-century Europe. As a Christian ruler defending his realm, Vlad sought Hungary's support against the expanding Ottoman Empire. While King Matthias initially backed Vlad's fierce anti-Ottoman resistance, political pressures and financial strain eventually fractured their alliance.

In 1462, following Vlad's legendary night attack against Sultan Mehmed II, Vlad was forced to retreat into Transylvania to seek immediate aid from the Hungarian monarch. Instead of providing military reinforcements, Matthias Corvinus arrested Vlad. To justify this betrayal to the Pope and Western Europe, Matthias used intercepted, likely forged letters to accuse Vlad of treason. He also weaponized the newly invented printing press to distribute sensationalized pamphlets detailing Vlad's horrific cruelties, which laid the historical foundation for the Dracula legend.

Vlad was imprisoned for 12 years. Later, they reconciled; Vlad married a cousin of Matthias and was released in 1475 to fight the Turks once more before his death in battle December 1476 or very early January 1477

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Sku# 1791