Spain joins the list of nations issuing their own gold bullion coins. The new bullion coin will launch on 1st December.
The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda Timbre Real Casa de la Moneda (Spanish Mint) plans to launch the first Spanish bullion coin on 1at December.
Spain has a long numismatic history with treasures such as the Spanish silver “piece of eight”. The Spanish silver coins of eight reals (eight bits) were first authorised in 1497. Also known as pesos and Spanish dollars, authorities minted them in enormous quantities. They became a reliable medium of exchange in the European colonies of North America.
Design of new coin
The Reverse Proof 1-ounce .999 fine gold coin is denominated at €1.5. This is an unusually low denomination.
The reverse depicts the head of an Iberian lynx. In addition, the face value (€1.5) appears, with the year date of issue (2021) and the crowned symbol of the Spanish Mint.
The coin’s obverse features imagery borrowed from the famous Spanish silver “piece of eight” coin. This circulated around the globe for more than two centuries.
The 2021 coin appropriates the Pillars of Hercules design that represents the two hemispheres meeting, with two globes crowned over the seas. The legend PLVS VLTRA also appears on ribbons mounted on opposite pillars.
The legends identify Spain’s current monarch, Felipe VI, and the coin’s weight and fineness.
It weighs 31.21 grams and measures 37 millimeters in diameter. The inaugural issue has a mintage limit of 12,000 coins.
The coin, with continuing Lynx motif, is to be sold through distributors worldwide.
