España - Spain 2 Euro Unesco World Heritage Coins

On 1 January 1999, 11 member states of the European Union, among which Spain, adopted the common European currency, Euro. Greece followed on 1 January 2001. On 1 January 2002 coins and banknotes were brought into circulation. Over time other countries adopted the Euro

There are eight different coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 Euro, and 2 Euro. The coins have a common side with the value and a national side that is different for each country. In addition, each country could issue one commemorative coin a year. Later, the number of allowed commemorative coins was raised to two. Occasionally, the member countries can issue a common commemorative coin. Only 2 Euro coins can be minted as commemorative coins. Higher denomination coins exist but are national issues. You may even find it difficult to use a Dutch 5 Euro coin in a Dutch shop.

In 2010, Spain issued the first in a series of annual commemorative coins depicting Spain's UNESCO World Heritage. Correos, the Spanish postal authority issued a miniature sheet containing a stamp depicting the commemorative coin. The Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre produces both Spain's coins and stamps.

Edit: For some reason, I thought the first of these miniature sheets was issued in 2014. The first, actually, was issued in 2010. I shall post the missing sheets. This post has been altered to show the 2010 issue.

The coin depicts the emblematic red and white arches of the cathedral in Córdoba. The cathedral is known as 'Mezquita,' the Spanish word for 'mosque.' The mosque was commissioned by the first Emir of the newly independent emirate of Córdoba, Abd-Al-Rahman I. It was built on the site of a Visigoth church dedicated to the Martyr Saint Vincent. Construction started in 785 and ended in 787. At the time, it was the world's second-largest mosque, after that of Mecca.

After the reconquest of Córdoba, in 1236, King Ferdinand III of Castile converted the mosque in a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The 2011 commemorative coin depicts the Court of the Lions that is part of the Alhambra complex in Granada. The Alhambra together with the nearby Generalife and the Albaicín area of the city were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

The Alhambra is a complex of palaces, gardens, and a castle (alcazaba) that developed between the first half of the 11th century and the end of the 16th century, when the Kings of Spain ordered the construction of new buildings. The name derives from the Arabic al-Hamra (the red). It is believed this refers to the reflection of the torchlight during the construction at night. An alternative theory is that it refers to the first Emir of Granada Ibn-Al-Ahmra (the red-haired).

The Court of the Lions depicted on the coin is part of the Palace of the Lions constructed in the second half of the 14th century.


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In 2012, the UNESCO World Heritage commemorative coin depicted the cathedral of Burgos. The cathedral dedicated to Saint Mary was built between 1221 and 1567. Both the building itself and the sacred artworks it houses are exemplary of the way the Gothic style evolved. It is the only Spanish cathedral on the UNESCO World Heritage list that is not part of a larger historic area.


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The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial was the subject of the coin brought into circulation in 2013. The palace was built between 1563 and 1584. At the same time, it was destined to be a monastery. In 1559, King Philips II commissioned Juan Bautista de Toledo to design a new palace. The work was finished by Juan de Herrera. His architectural style marks the transition from the Renaissance to Baroque and the monastery of Saint Lawrence of El Escorial is considered his masterpiece.

Until 1562 when King Philips II settled his court in Madrid, Spanish courts had been itinerant. Philips II commissioned the construction of his royal monastery in the foothills of the Guadarrama Mountains, north of Madrid. He dedicated the monastery to Saint Lawrence who was martyred on a gridiron placed over hot coals. The floorplan of the monastery is reminiscent of a gridiron. It was on 10 August 1557, the festivity of Saint Lawrence, Philips II defeated the French in the Battle of Saint Quentin.

The monastery was used by the Spanish monarchs until the early 19th century and is a royal pantheon. Previous Spanish kings had often used monasteries as palaces. The monastery and the royal administrative town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial that developed around it a few kilometres from the town of El Escorial has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage.


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The 2014 coin and stamp were dedicated to the architecture of Spanish (Catalan) architect Antoni Gaudí y Cornet. The coin shows elements of Park Güell in Barcelona.


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The 2015 coin depicts a polychrome bison cave painting from ca. 36,000 BC that was discovered in the Altamira Caves near the municipality of Santillana del Mar in the Spanish region of Canbtabria. The caves and the palaeolithic polychrome paintings were discovered in 1868. The paintings in the cave system span the period from ca. 36,500 until 13,000 BC.

The paintings depict animals, anthropomorphic figures, and abstract images. They were the first extensive prehistoric paintings known at the time. The palaeolithic cave art of Northern Spain is listed as UNESCO World Heritage.


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The 2016 coin depicts the Roman aqueduct of Segovia. The aqueduct was built at the end of the first and beginning of the second century to transport water from the mountains, some 17 kilometres from Segovia, into the city.

From where the aqueduct enters the city it has 75 single arches followed by 44 double arches and a further four single arches. At its highest point in the city, it is 28 metres high.


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The 2017 coin and stamp were dedicated to the pre-Romanesque architecture of Oviedo and Asturias. The coin shows the hunting palace of the Asturian King Ramiro I from the middle of the eight century, located just outside the principality's capital Oviedo on the slope of Monte Naranco.

After the Muslim conquest of Spain, the first important battle won by the Christians took place near Lake Covadonga in the mountains of Asturias. This is seen as the start of the reconquest of Spain. At the start of that reconquest, Oviedo became the capital of the Kingdom that, in the end, developed into modern-day Spain. Asturias remains a principality within the Spanish Kingdom and the heir to the Spanish Crown is the Prince of Asturias.


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NSK,

Great thread!! thanks for the scans and for the comprehensive description of each sheet! Regards

The 1, 2, and 5 cent coins of Spain depict the Romanesque cathedral of Santiago de Compostela that is among the most important places of pilgrimage in the Roman Catholic world. The cathedral was built between 1075 and 1211 on the supposed burial site of Saint James the Elder. After the grave of the saint had been lost for centuries, shepherds noticed a falling star and followed it. On the site where it came down, they discovered the saint's grave. The town's name derives from the legend of Saint James of the Field of the Star (Santiago del Campo de la Estrella). The city's historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The 2018 commemorative 2 Euro coin depicts Saint James in pilgrim's attire arriving at the main portal.


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The 2019 World Heritage commemorative coin was dedicated to Spain's highest provincial capital, Avila (Avila de los Caballeros). The city preserves its complete mediaeval wall that has a length of 2,515 metres. Today there remain 87 of its towers, nine gates, and 2,500 merlons. It was erected between the 11th and 14th centuries. Among the towers is the apse of the cathedral.

The historic centre, the mediaeval town wall, and the extramural churches of the city are listed as UNESCO World Heritage. The coin depicts a section of the city's mediaeval wall with three of its towers.


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The 2020 commemorative coin is dedicated to the Mudéjar architecture of Aragón. Present-day Spain is an amalgamation of kingdoms. It came to being with the marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragón, the Catholic Kings. Their daughter, Johanna I 'The Insane' became heir to the thrones of the two Kingdoms. The Catholic Kings finished the reconquest of Spain when Granada capitulated on 1 January 1492.

In both kingdoms, Muslims remained after the reconquest. They were known as Mudéjares. Their typical architecture inspired by the Muslim architecture is unique to Spain. Many examples of Mudéjar architecture have been preserved in the autonomy of Aragón that was at the core of the old kingdom. Characteristic of the style are the frequent use of bricks and coloured ceramic tiles. The provincial capital of Teruel preserves four mediaeval Mudéjar towers. One adjoins the Mudéjar cathedral. The coin depicts the youngest and most elaborately decorated of these towers, that of El Salvador dating to the 14th. century.


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The 2021 commemorative 2 Euro coin in the UNESCO World Heritage series is dedicated to the historic centre of Toledo, the capital of Gothic Spain. Among the most famous sights is the alcázar that rises above the city. The coin, however, depicts the Mudéjar town gate of the sun (Puerta del Sol) and an element of the Mudéjar synagogue of Samuel Leví, both from the 14th century.


Edit: moved from five posts earlier. Four earlier issues have been inserted in the first four posts.

Thanks @Roberto59 for pointing out that terrible mistake in the "Mudéjar architecture of Aragón" post. Of course Granada capitulated in 1492 and not 1992. I really should have known better.

F.N.M.T. dedicated its 1922 annual commemorative 'UNESCO World Heritage' 2-euro coin to the Garajonay National Park. This park is located on the island of La Gomera. La Gomera is one of the inhabited volcanic Canary Isles. The park is situated in the central mountainous region of the island and covers almost 4,000 hectares. It takes its name from the Alto de Garajonay. At 1487 metres, its summit located in the park is the highest point on the island.

The park's lowest point is 650 metres over the level of the sea. Laurel forest covers 70 percent of the park. In 2012 wildfires destroyed 4,000 hectares of forest on the island, of which 750 hectares of the national park. Within the park are several rock formations and craters that are testimony of the island's volcanic origin.

The souvenir sheet depicts the Roque de Agando. This is the most prominent of a group of volcanic plugs. Remains of indigenous Guanche sacrificial shrines were found on its summit. These, however, were looted by a German film crew that made a documentary, in the 1980s. The centre of the stamp depicts the commemorative coin also depicting the Roque de Agando.



There are several hiking trails in the park, often with steep climbs. There is a bus service between the island's capital of San Sebastián de La Gomera and Valle del Gran Rey that calls at a stop near the Garajonay summit. The road passes below the Roque de Agando that arises ca. 3 kilometres from the bus stop. Under a kilometre nearer the bus stop is a viewpoint from which there is a good view of the rock.

Those interested in local legends, may like to read the legend of the indigenous princes Gara and Jonay who committed suicide on the summit of the island's highest peak – hence the name Alto de Gara y Jonay, or Garajonay.

San Sebastián de La Gomera was the last port of call before Cristóbal Colón (Columbus) crossed the Atlantic Ocean on his voyage of discovery. In one of the mansions on its main street is a well with a plaque. If my memory serves me well, the plaque reads "with water from this well, America was baptised."

With still a long list of UNESCO World Heritage sites to choose from, the FNMT – RCM can continue its series of commemorative €2-coins for many years to come. The 2023 coin was dedicated to the walled old town of Cáceres.

Cáceres is the capital of the homonymous province that borders on Portugal. The walled part of Cáceres was founded as a Roman colony, at the end of the first century. The name may derive either from "Norba Caesarina" or "Castra Caecilia." It preserves many examples of late-Gothic fortified and Renaissance noble mansions and churches from the same period. It also preserves almost all its Arab defensive walls. These were erected by the Almohads at the end of the twelfth and beginning of the thirteenth century atop the original Roman walls. It preserves many of its towers.

The miniature sheet itself depicts the co-cathedral of Saint Mary. The Gothic cathedral was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries on the site of an older church. From its bell tower, there is an excellent view of the old town.

The stamp reproduces a view of the Arab "torre de Bujaco" with part of the curtain wall and the old town in the background as seen from the Plaza Mayor. This tower is a so-called "albarrana" tower; a defensive tower detached from the curtain wall and connected to it by a bridge or an arch. The tower, probably, was named after the Almohad Caliph Abu Jacob who ordered its construction. Roman masonry was re-used to construct the base of the tower. Next to the tower stands a small hermitage from 1750 dedicated Our Lady of Peace.

The miniature sheet was printed in offset with the stamp printed in offset and chalcography (intaglio) by the FNMT – RCM that also minted the commemorative coin.



For those who have read the bestseller "Cathedral of the Sea" by Ildefonso Falcones de Sierra the miniature sheet may be of interest. In the background of miniature sheet appear the two white towers of the Baroque Jesuit church of Saint Francis Xavier. When I visited Cáceres and took a guided tour of the city, the towers were painted pink. The tour guide explained that TVE (Spain's national broadcaster), not long before, had filmed a tv-series based on this novel by Ildefonso Falcones. They had used the church of Saint Francis Xavier to represent the Gothic Basilica of Santa María del Mar in Barcelona to which the title of the novel refers. Someone in the special effects department of TVE must have had a field day altering this Baroque church into a Gothic one.