2018-02-13 Tue

Two circulating commemorative €2 coins for 2018 were issued by Spain on 1st February. One of them celebrates UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site of Santiago while the other celebrates the 50th anniversary of King Felipe VI’s reign. A special design is featured on the obverse side of both coins.

The City of Santiago de Compostela is known for its urban beauty and monumental integrity. It also had a lot of spiritual and cultural significance during the Middle Ages as a destination for the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage. These ancient pilgrim routes end at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.

The coin design features a sculpture of Santiago from above the Holy Door of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Other inscriptions include ESPANA, 2018, with the Mint mark. The coin has a mintage limit of 300,000 pieces. The other coin features King Felipe VI’s coat of arms. Inscriptions include ESPANA, 2018, 50 ANIVERSARIO DE S.M. FELIPE VI and the Mint mark. This coin has a mintage limit of 400,000 pieces.

The inner core of these 8.5 grams coins is made of copper-nickel. The copper-aluminum-nickel outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag. A map of the European Union is shown on the reverse.