2009 Spain €20 Gold Proof Coin "Centen"

• Mint: FNMT-Real Casa de la Moneda
• Denomination: €20
• Quality: Proof
• Issue limit: 12,000 pcs.
• Alloy: 99.9% Gold
• Diameter: 13.92 mm
• Weight: 1.24 grams
• Box/Capsule: Yes/Yes
• Certificate: Yes

This is the second issue in the series Numismatic Treasures, which features reproductions of representative coins in the history of Spain, and shows the Centén.

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the first minting of two of the most impressive coins in Spanish history: the silver 50 Reales coin, mostly known as Cincuentín, and the gold 100 Escudos coins, also known as Centén, both minted at the Real Ingenio de Segovia, founded by King Philip II. The coins made by the Real Ingenio were circular, with almost perfect edges, very unlike the irregular-edged coins that result from the traditional hammer-striking process. The Segovia coins were accepted at face value without need for them to be weighed, since the reeding around the edges prohibited the shaving off of bits of gold and silver that was typical for the time. The Real Ingenio began its activity in 1586 and minted a large variety of coins and medals.

The Centén was minted during the period of the last monarchs of the House of Austria, namely Philip III, Philip IV and Charles II. It had a face value of 100 escudos, a diameter something in excess of 70 millimetres, and the established theoretical weight was 359.19 grams. It was utilized as a gift for high-ranking members of the European nobility. The pieces minted were therefore scant, and sometimes amounted to only a single piece per minting session. The original coin weighs 335.5 grams and on the obverse depicts the crowned shield with the coats-of-arms of the Spanish territories, the mint marks, represented by an aqueduct, and the assayer’s mark with the entwined initials AR belonging to Andrés de Pedrera, and the face value 100. The reverse shows the Cross Potent of Jerusalem, an honorary entitlement held by the monarchs of Spain since the time of the Emperor Charles V, and proper to the gold coin.