750TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN BULL GRANTED BY BELA IV.

Motif: a fragment of the Bela IV. Bill confirming Zagreb a royal free town; the front part of the golden seal (bull) featuring Bela IV. seated on the throne. Routed on the banks of the Sajo River in 1241 by Tartars and Mongols, Bela IV. fled to Zagreb, Croatia. Then poorly fortified Zagreb was unable to resist the invasion, it was levelled and its cathedral burned. Bela IV. took somewhat inglorious refuge in the fortified Dalmatian places. For a year his kingdom did not exist. When the Mongols withdrew, the country's destruction was ghastly for the population, the settlements, economy, cultural inheritance and the state apparatus. To turn back a second invasion, Bela began to reconstruct the defense system of his realm. Only fortified towns were able to resist the invaders. He founded the defense of the country on free royal towns, one of them being Zagreb. The Bela IV: Chart, renamed Golden Bull because of its double golden seal endowing it with top importance and confirmating power, grants many liberties to the townspeople of Gradec (Fortress). The Chart is written in Latin on the parchment (460 mm high, 575 mm wide), in black ink, in diplomatic language. The gothic minuscula is very readable with richly illuminated initials. On the bent lower part of the parchment hangs a double golden seal (7 mm thick, hollow, 68 mm in diameter). On the front side Bela IV: is seated on the throne with all the insignias; crown, sceptre, apple. On the back side the Hungarian coat of arms is represented: a shield with the double cross. The Treasure of the State Archives of Croatia houses this fundamental privilege since 1915; the Golden Bull treasured carefully for many centuries. The stamp was printed in sheets of 25 pieces each. HPT put on sale the FDC envelope of the first day of issue, and a commemorative sheet of stamps as well.