Spain: pre-euro coinage of King Juan Carlos I

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The reverse of the FIFA-themed 5 pesetas coin.

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The reverse of the FIFA-themed 25 pesetas coin.

There was no 10 pesetas coin at that time.

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The reverse of the FIFA-themed 50 pesetas coin.

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The FIFA-themed 100 pesetas coin.

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In 1982 a new standard circulating 1 peseta coin was issued. It was made of aluminium and weighed only 1.2 grams, compared to the 3.5 grams of the aluminium-bronze coin that it superseded. Both old and new coins had the same diameter of 21 mm, however.

In 1982, for the first time, the mint mark of the Madrid Mint - a crowned upper-case M - appeared on the reverse of the standard circulation coins.

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Also in 1982, a new denomination of 2 pesetas was issued, for the first time since 1905.

The new coin was made of aluminium, weighed 2 grams and was 24 mm in diameter.

The reverse carried the new mint mark and showed a map of Spain and its outlying islands.

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A new version of the 5 pesetas coin was also released in 1982.

It carried the new mint mark on its reverse.

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A new version of the 25 pesetas coin was also released in 1982.

It carried the new mint mark on its reverse.

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A new version of the 50 pesetas coin was also released in 1982.

It carried the new mint mark on its reverse.

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Also in 1982, a completely new version of the 100 pesetas coin was issued.

It was made of aluminium-bronze.

It was smaller and lighter than the older copper-nickel coin.


The new coin weighed 9.25 grams and had a diameter of 24.5 mm.

It carried the new mint mark on its reverse.

The old copper-nickel coin had weighed 17 grams and had a diameter of 30 mm.

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A new denomination was issued in 1983: a 10 pesetas coin.

It was copper-nickel, with a diameter of 18.5 mm, and weighed 4 grams.

At last the gap between the 5 and 25 pesetas coins was filled.


The obverse carried the standard royal portrait.

The reverse featured the coat of arms.


Curiously, the denomination was given as DIEZ, instead of the usual numerals.

Perhaps this helped people to recognise the new coin.

The 25 pesetas coin was larger and heavier (26.5 mm; 8.5 grams).

However, it was not issued in that form after 1984.

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The next new denomination appeared in 1986: a 200 pesetas coin.

The copper-nickel coin was 22 mm in diameter and weighed 8.6 grams.


It was round with a heptagonal inner rim.

The reverse design featured an oak branch and a laurel branch.

The coin was issued only from 1986 through to 1988.

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The next new denomination appeared in 1987: a 500 pesetas coin.

The aluminium-bronze coin was 28 mm in diameter and weighed 12 grams.


It was round with a heptagonal inner rim.

The obverse design featured a conjoined portrait of the King and Queen Sofia.

The reverse design featured the coat of arms.

The version of the coin was issued only from 1987 through to 1990.

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1989 was the last year of issue of the 21 mm wide aluminium 1 peseta coin.

However, in that same year a smaller aluminium 1 peseta coin was issued.

It had a diameter of only 14 mm and weighed only half a gram.

The larger coin had weighed 1.2 grams.


The demi-portrait on the obverse showed an older king.

The innovative design included the word 'PESETA' sideways within the figure '1'.

This allowed the denomination to fit the tiny coin.


The new coin was minted through to 2001.

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1989 saw the issue of yet another new coin type: an aluminium-bronze 5 pesetas coin.

It weighed 3 grams and had a diameter of 17.5 mm.

The old copper-nickel coin had weighed 5.7 grams and was 23.5 mm in diameter.


The obverse of the new coin did not feature the King's portrait.

Instead it showed the King's monogram in an unusual font.

The reverse of the coin showed the denomination in an equally innovative style.