A collector’s coin, worth 7.50 euros, will be put into circulation on the 5th of May to commemorate the fifth centenary of Fernão de Magalhães’ Circum-Navigation Voyage.
According to a notice published on Thursday in the Diário da República, the coin, made of silver alloy, was designated “completion 1522”. The distribution to the public will be carried out through the Bank of Portugal’s Credit Institutions and Treasurys, informs the bank of Portugal. 50,000 units of this special currency will be issued.
During this year, Banco de Portugal launched and will continue to launch a series of commemorative coins with different dates or themes. On 3 March, for example, a five-euro coin related to the climate theme was launched. Earlier, on February 3, a coin commemorating the 100th birthday of José Saramago was launched.
The coin launched on the 5th of May, Thursday, will have on the obverse the representation of the armillary globe, with the legend “Sphera Mundi”, the legends “2022 Portugal”, “Circum-Navegação” and “1519-1522” and, in the lower left quadrant, the face value.
On the reverse, there will be a representation of the ship Victoria, “the only boat to retake Spain after sailing around the world, commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano, after the death of Fernão de Magalhães in 1521”, the caption “Fernão de Magalhães”, “ Conclusion by Elcano”, “1522”, “INCM” and the author’s indication.
The launch of other coins is scheduled for the coming months, such as one that will commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Higher Institute of Economics and Management of the University of Lisbon (ISEG) and another of the Lourinhanosaurus antunesi —a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur that lived in Portugal about 150 million years ago, unknown until part of a skeleton was found in 1982 by a farmer in Peralta (Lourinhã). Coins commemorating the 20th anniversary of the euro and even the art of porcelain will also be launched.
