Hungarian Mint Unleashes the Mudi
The Hungarian Mint will release the fourth issue in the “Hungarian sheep and hunting dog breeds” coin series today, Oct. 4, dedicated to the Hungarian Mudi. The first three coins, the Vizsla, the Komondor, and the Agar rank among the mint’s most popular issues.
The Mudi is a medium-sized herding breed from Hungary with a wavy coat, pointed ears, and coat colors that can include a unique merle pattern. As a working breed, Mudis are agile and intelligent that can serve as versatile farm dogs and loyal protectors of their families. They are courageous enough to herd the most stubborn livestock while standing guard over their homes without an overly aggressive nature. The Mudi is a hard worker that still makes a gentle, loyal family companion.
The Mudi is an energetic dog that does best with active families or homes that can provide a job for it to do. Thanks to its intelligent personality and eagerness to please its owners, the Mudi is easily trainable and picks up on obedience lessons quickly. These dogs are also very affectionate with both adults and children. They have a friendly temperament with other animals when raised together.
The Mudi dog has been around since the 19th century. It is believed that the Mudi evolved from crosses of the Puli, Pumi, and German Spitz. When breeding, the small dogs were typically divided from the larger ones and interbred. The Mudi shares its early history with both the Pumi and the Puli.
Sometime around 1930, Dr. Deszö Fényesi, a director of the museum in Balassagyarmat, was one of the first to breed the small Mudi sheepdog separately. He is credited for naming the breed, which was officially recognized in 1936.
World War II severely impacted several Hungarian breeds. Some almost disappeared, and the Mudi was already rare. In the 1960s, its population was rehabilitated.
In 2004, the Mudi appeared on a Hungarian postage stamp to honor the dogs, which are considered national treasures. Today, the breed remains very rare. There are only a few thousand Mudis worldwide, with the greatest numbers being in Hungary, followed by Finland. They still actively herd with Hungarian shepherds and their flocks containing as many as 500 sheep.
Mudis have also been used as search and rescue dogs in Finland and the United States. The breed excels at agility, obedience, and fly- ball among other dog sports.
The new Proof-like copper-nickel coin has a face value of 2,000 forint. With a mintage of 20,000, the 34mm coin will be relatively collectible.
