Coins for Hungary and Tuvalu mark Rubik’s cube anniversary

Images courtesy of the Hungarian Central Bank and the Perth Mint.

The three-dimensional combination puzzle known to generations as a Rubik’s Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor Erno Rubik.

Hungary and Tuvalu are both marking the anniversary with collector coins.

Each face of a Rubik’s Cube comprises nine colored squares.

At the start of the puzzle, the squares are arranged so that each face of the cube is a uniform color — one each in yellow, white, blue, green, orange, and red.

An internal pivot mechanism, which allows each face to be twisted or turned independently, is then used to scramble the 54 colored squares, which, to complete the puzzle, must then be returned to their original configuration.

It was not until 1980 that the Rubik’s Cube was introduced internationally, when the cube, with 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 ways of arranging the squares, but with only one solution, quickly became an addiction, and took the world by storm.

Rights to sell Rubik’s cubes belong to the Spin Master Corporation, a Canadian multinational children’s toy and entertainment company. According to Fortune, as of January 2024, around 500 million cubes had been sold worldwide, making it the world’s bestselling puzzle game, and, says The Independent, the bestselling toy. Rubik’s Cube was inducted into the United States National Toy Hall of Fame in 2014.

The world record for solving a cube is 3.13 seconds.

Spin Master has granted the Hungarian National Bank approval for a coin issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of this Hungarian phenomenon.

The bank is issuing a total of 20,000 Prooflike 3,000-forint coins, which are being released by the Hungarian Mint on July 15, two days after the official anniversary.

The Hungarian coins are made from an alloy of copper, aluminum, zinc, and tin known as “Nordic gold.” The hexagonal-shaped coin measures 37.18 millimeters (1.5 inches) in diameter and weighs 20 grams.

The coin is accompanied by a certificate, something usually done only for precious metal issues.

The obverse and reverse show the cube from two perspectives, outside and inside. The oblique obverse view is of three faces of the cube as we know it, showing nine miniature cubes per side, arranged in a 3x3 pattern.

The reverse solves a mystery for those who have never taken one apart. It shows the inside, with a three-dimensional cross as its anchor, to which the cubes are interlocked in such a way as to enable them to rotate. The reverse also carries the toy company’s trademarked 50th anniversary logo.

Available from the Hungarian Mint’s North American representative, Coin & Currency Institute, single coins are offered for $19.95 each. In orders of five or more, the coin is priced at $17.95 each.

Shipping and handling charges are additional, and Vermont residents must add 6% sales tax.

Collectors are advised to allow several weeks after the issue date for shipping from Budapest.

To order, visit the distributor website at www.coin-currency.com.

The Perth Mint’s 2-ounce .9999 fine silver $2 coin for Tuvalu is also issued under license.

Encased in the coin’s center is a rotating 99.99 fine gold-plated representative model of the trademarked Rubik’s Cube.

The coin’s reverse, by designer Wade Robinson, portrays the official RUBIK’S 50 YEARS colored logo, which appears on an antiqued pattern of cubes. Also included in the design are colored images of the puzzle in play, the inscription TWIST, TURN, SOLVE, various trademark and copyright symbols, and Perth Mint’s P Mint mark.

The obverse features the Jody Clark effigy of King Charles III, which appears on a similar antiqued surface. Also included are the coin’s weight, purity, denomination, and 2024.

Elements of this coin are individually antiqued to give them a unique finish conveying the surface abrasions of an aged artifact. As a result, the appearance of each coin in the mintage may vary.

The coin weighs 62.213 grams, measures 45.6 millimeters in diameter, and has a mintage limit of 3,000 pieces. Each retails for $299 Australian. To order, or for more information, visit the Perth Mint website, www.perthmint.com.au.

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