Stephan I was the last Hungarian Grand Prince (997-1000), and the first King of Hungary (1001-1038). Together with his parents he converted to Christianity as a boy, and thus became the first Hungarian ruler who was raised in Christian belief. Stephan encouraged the spread of Christianity in his realm. He invited missionaries to come and proselytize, and imposed severe punishments for ignoring Christian customs. In 1083, he was canonized by the pope. Stephan is a popular saint in Hungary and the neighboring territories. For his new kingdom, Stephan issued the first Hungarian coins. They were the then usual pfennigs and obols (half pfennigs) in Bohemian and Regensburg style.