2016-07-08 Fri

The 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games is being celebrated by Portugal by releasing a special circulating commemorative 2 Euro bimetallic coin. 88 Portuguese athletes would be participating this time at the grand sporting event in 15 different categories. Apart from that, Brazil and Portuguese have always had many important cultural, historical and political ties.

The Portuguese military commander Pedro Alvares Cabral first acquired Brazil in 1500. The town of Sao Vicente was established near Sao Paulo in 1532. Brazil became an independent nation in 1822.

The obverse depicts a three-dimensional crochet work called “Independent Red Heart” which is inspired by the “Heart of Viana,” from the northern Portuguese region of Viana do Castelo.

The inscriptions include the artist’s name ‘JOANA VASCONCELOS’, EQUIPA OLIMPICA DE PORTUGAL 2016, which translates into “PORTUGAL’S 2016 OLYMPIC TEAM”, the mintmark of National Mint of Portugal, INCM, and the 12 stars of the European Union.

The reverse bears a map of Western Europe with the inscription ‘2 EURO’, 12 stars and the reverse designer Luc Luycx’s initial LL.