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Friday 16 December 2022

2602) 500th Anniversary of first circumnavigation of the World, Spain: The FNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda has issued €40 Silver Coin which celebrate the milestone: Date of Coins issue: 12.12.2022:

2602) 500th Anniversary of first circumnavigation of the World, Spain: The FNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda has issued €40 Silver Coin which celebrate the milestone: Date of Coins issue: 12.12.2022:

The Header/Banner showcases  the Reverse and Obverse of the 40 Euro Silver Coin presented against a background representation of the Map of the known world. The Header is titled "V CENTENARIO VUELTA"

I saw an engrossing mini-series titled "Boundless" (Spanish: "Sin límites") on Amazon Prime some time ago.

It is a Spanish historical drama and adventure television mini-series in Spanish, directed by Simon West that premiered on 10.06.2022. 

It stars Álvaro Morte and Rodrigo Santoro as Juan Sebastián Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan respectively. It was created on the "500th Anniversary of the First Circumnavigation of the World".

The storyline is a fictionalised account of the "First Circumnavigation of the World", tracking the 1519–22 voyage initiated by Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano. 

The Commemorative Coin issued by the FNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda:

The FNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda has released on 12.12.2022, Silver and Colour Commemorative Coins marking the quincentenary anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world in 1522

The event is being commemorated with Spain’s first coin, which includes a denomination of 40-Euro. The coins are issued as part of the annual programme of commemorative coins released at their face value.

The First circumnavigation of the World Expedition under Ferdinand Magellan's command:

Under the command of the Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521), the Carrack Nao Victoria was the first ship to circumnavigate the world successfully.

The expedition began in August 1519 from the Port of Seville

It was to sail West for the Moluccas in present-day Indonesia via the Cape Horn or, as it was known, the Straits of Magellan between South America and Antarctica. 

The return voyage to Spain would be via the Cape of Good Hope on the coast of South Africa.

The expedition consisted of five ships in all, the Nao Victoria and its crew of 42, accompanied by the Trinidad with a crew of 55, the San Antonio with a crew of 60, the Concepcion crew of 45, and the Santiago with a crew of 32. 

The Magellan-Elcano Circumnavigation was the first voyage around the world, recorded in human history:

The Spanish expedition that sailed from Seville in 1519 under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, in search of a maritime path to East Asia through the Americas and across the Pacific Ocean and concluded by Spanish Navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522. 

Elcano and the 18 survivors of the expedition were the recorded as the first men to circumnavigate the globe in a single expedition.

A Brief about the Circumnavigation Expedition:

The Spanish fleet, the "Armada de Molucca" that left Spain on 20.09.1519 and consisted of five ships and 270 men, the ships being - "Trinidad" under Magellan, Captain General, "San Antonio" under Juan de Cartagena, "Concepcion" under Gasper de Quesada, "Santiago" under Joao Serrao and "Victoria" under Luiz Mendoza.

After crossing the Atlantic and wintering in South America, the expedition navigated what is now known as the "Straits of Magellan", then crossed the Pacific to the Philippines.

Enroute, on 01-02.04.1520, the crew of "Victoria", "Concepcion" and "San Antonio" mutinied, resulting in the death of Louis de Mendoza and the execution of de Quesada and marooning of de Cartagena. Alvaro de Mesquita became the captain of "San Antonio", while Duarte Barbosa took command of "Victoria".

At the end of 04/1520, "Santiago" which was sent on a mission to find the passage, was caught in a storm and was wrecked

In 10/1520, "San Antonio" charged with exploring the Magdalen Sound failed to return to the fleet and sailed back to Spain under Estevao Gomes, who imprisoned Captain de Mesquita, returning back to Spain on 21.05.1521.

On 27.04.1521, Magellan was killed by a poison arrow in the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines fought between the warriors of the indigenous chieftain of Mactan Island Lapu-lapu who overpowered and defeated a Spanish force fighting for Rajah Humabon of Cebu, under Magellan's command. 

Magellan had ordered all local Chiefs to convert to Christianity which diktat Lapu-lapu resisted leading to the armed conflict

Several of Magellan's men and several of the locals who had converted to Christianity were also killed in this battle. Lapu-lapu is treated as the first "Philippine national hero" who resisted foreign rule/diktat.

On 01.05.1521, Barbosa and 27 sailors (including Afonso de Gois, the new captain of "Victoria") were poisoned at a banquet by the indigenous people and Serrao was captured and executed. The three remaining ships escaped with the remnants of the crew.

As not many men were left to sail the three ships left in the fleet, the worm-infested "Concepcion" was burned down and the remaining two ships - "Victoria" and "Trinidad" continued the circumnavigation, with Gonzalo Gomez de Espinosa the captain of "Victoria" and Joao Lopez Carvalho as the Captain General of the flotilla, aboard the "Trinidad". Later Carvalho was replaced by Juan Sebastian Elcano.

On 06.04.1522, "Trinidad" was wrecked in a storm.

On 06.09.1522, "Victoria" was the lone ship to return to Sanlucar de Barrameda under Elcano's command and on 08.09.1522, reached Seville, technically completing the circumnavigation.

The circumnavigation was completed by Elcano and a crew of 18 men in Victoria, returning to Spain nearly three years after they left on 06.09.1522.

The importance of the expedition:

The cultural and scientific heritage of the first Circumnavigation Voyage led by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano, as well as its relevance, remain current to the present day.

The celebration of the First Circumnavigation, which began in 1519 and concluded in 1522, records the crew commanded by Ferdinand Magellan, included sailors of more than ten nationalities.

In other words, this historical achievement was only possible thanks to a real effort of international co-operation.

As it was five centuries ago, this Coin issue has sought inspiration from the spirit of those explorers who set out for the unknown and, more than any material wealth, brought back "treasures" in the form of encounters with new people, new cultures and new art forms.

The route opened by the two navigators represents in a real way the first integral "vision" of the world, manifest in the singularity of a certain geographical, cultural, scientific and socio-economic point of view

The Coin:

The Obverse and the Reverse of the 40 Euro Coin placed side-by-side

On the Reverse of the 40 Euro Silver Coins, which includes colour, are depicted a world map by the Italian cartographer Battista Agnese and an image from the collections of the National Library of Spain of the "Nao Victoria", asail at full mast, which has been superimposed over the map. 

Above the primary design along the edge is the text "V CENTENARIO VUELTA AL MUNDO" (“Fifth Century Around the World”).

Below the commemorative text is the value of "40 EURO" and to the left of the numeral 40 is the mintmark of the Real Casa, "a crowned M". 

Separating the denomination is a circular security application containing a quadruple latent image of a ship, the mint mark, a five-pointed star, and the numeral 22. 

The Obverse of the 40 Euro Silver Coins, includes conjoined effigies of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia facing to the left. 

The legend "FELIPE VI Y LETIZIA" is placed above their effigies, and the year "2022" is placed underneath. 

The specifications of the two Coin Variants are:

i) Silver Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Coin:

Country of issue: Spain; Date/Year of Coin issue: 12.12.2022; Denomination€40 (Forty Euro); Metal Composition: .925 Silver (Ag); Weight: 18.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 33.00 mm; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) with applied colour; Minted ByFNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda; Mintage: 5,000 pieces.

ii) Silver Uncirculated (U) Coin:

Country of issue: Spain; Date/Year of Coin issue: 12.12.2022; Denomination€40 (Forty Euro); Metal Composition: .925 Silver (Ag); Weight: 18.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 33.00 mm; Coin Quality: Uncirculated (U) with applied colour; Minted ByFNMT — Real Casa de la Moneda; Mintage: 100,000 pieces.

- A limited edition of 5,000 Brilliant Uncirculated strikes is available in a numbered presentation blister-pak folder

- The Uncirculated coin strikes are packaged in a transparent, heat-sealed cellophane wrapper








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