Spain is a large state in southern Europe, within the Iberian Peninsula. The country can be proud of its history and rich cultural heritage. No less interesting are the money and coins of Spain, as well as the history of the development of the national currency of this ancient state.
Spanish currency: from real to peseta
In 2002, the country joined the so-called Eurozone. But the name of the Spanish currency before the euro - not everyone knows ...
In general, the evolution of the Spanish currency went through the following chain: real - escudo - peseta - euro. Real was introduced into the money circulation in the XIV century by King Pedro the First. This monetary unit remained in the status of the main currency of the Kingdom of Spain for five centuries in a row. Real equated to three Maravedi (older Iberian coins).
The real estate was replaced in 1864 by escudo (escudo in Spanish means “shield”). These coins were minted in both gold and silver. In different years, one escudo corresponded to a certain number of reals.
From 1869 to 2002, pesetas were in use throughout Spain. They were made of various metals and alloys (aluminum, bronze, copper, nickel and others). The word peseta itself is translated from Spanish as "a piece of something." One Spanish peseta was divided by 100 centimos.
In the summer of 1874, the first paper notes were printed in Spain. These were denominations in denominations of 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 pesetas. Initially, the number of paper banknotes was limited, so only banks and some financial institutions had the right to use them.
Euro is the modern currency of Spain
In 2002, the peseta ceased its official existence. The euro was introduced in the country. The reverse of all these coins is traditionally the same for all countries of the Eurozone. But the obverse in each state is made out in its own way. On modern Spanish coins you can see the face of King Felipe VI, revered by thousands of pilgrims, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella, as well as the image of the writer Miguel Cervantes.
By the way, if some of the inhabitants of this beautiful sunny country still have pesetas in their hands, then he can freely exchange them at the bank and receive euro euros.
It should be noted that not all Spaniards agreed with the transition to the euro. They still treat their old currency very reverently. For example, in the town of Estepona in the south of the country, even a monument was erected in honor of the peseta.
Coins of Spain
Beginning in 1869, pesetas and sentimos were centrally minted in the state. Some coins of Spain of this period are of great value among numismatists.
For example, many collectors are interested in coins from the Civil War (late 1930s). During this historical period in Spain, each of the armies issued its own money (there were 15 of them in total). Coins depicting the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco of the 40-50s are interesting to numismatists.
Spanish coins are distinguished by a rather interesting and diverse set of drawings and images. On their "body" you can see the emblem shields, sailboats and anchors, olive branches, gears and grapes.
Coins of this country have not spared the football theme. Still would! After all, the Spanish national football team is one of the strongest in the modern world. So, on coins of 1982 of release it is possible to see images of balls and grids of a football goal. This year, Spain hosted the World Cup.
Finally
Real, escudo, peseta, euro ... That was the historical evolution of the national currency of Spain. The very first coin in this country was minted 2.5 thousand years ago. The first paper money in Spain was printed in 1874. Many coins of Spain are objects of interest to numismatists.