2019-04-10 Wed

Portugal will be releasing a €2 coin to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the famous expedition when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe for the first time in history. The obverse side of the coin features a portrait of Magellan along with his name, country name, and other details. The reverse side features a map of the European Union. The 8.5 grams ringed-bimetallic coin with a copper-nickel core and copper-aluminium-nickel ring has a diameter of 25.75 millimetres.

Ferdinand Magellan led the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522. This voyage turned out to be the first circumnavigation of the world. Juan Sebastian Elcano completed the voyage because Magellan was killed in a battle in 1521. Magellan had earlier touched the Malay Archipelago in Southeast Asia. This time, he travelled to the west and managed to sail around the world.

Image Courtesy: INCM, the Portuguese State Mint