Spain: pre-euro coinage of King Juan Carlos I

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In 1990 yet another new coin type was issued: a copper-nickel 200 pesetas coin.

The coin was 25.5 mm in diameter and weighed 10.5 grams.

It had an unusually wide rim.


The obverse portrayed the king alongside crown prince Felipe.

The reverse depicted Madrid's Fountain of Cybele.


This coin, intended as a standard circulation coin, was minted in 1990 only.

However, its format provided a template for several collector commemorative coins.

These coins (not shown here) celebrated the forthcoming Barcelona Olympics of 1992.

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In the 1990s there were various circulating commemorative coins. To some extent, they influenced some of the later regular circulating coins of the 1990s. First I will post the regular circulating coins of the 1990s up to the advent of the euro, then I will finish by describing the circulating commemorative coins and their scope.

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A 10 pesetas coin had been introduced in 1983

It filled the gap between the 5 and 25 pesetas coin.


Curiously, the denomination was given as DIEZ and not in numerals.

That coin was issued from 1983 to 1985.


Now, in 1992 only, a new version of the coin was issued.

It showed the figure 10 instead of DIEZ.

In every other respect the coin was the same as before.


Above you see the reverse of the coin.

The obverse showed the standard royal portrait.

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The aluminium-bronze 100 pesetas coin had been issued from 1983 to 1990.

Its face value was given in words: 'CIEN PESETAS'.


Now, in 1992 only, a new version of the coin was issued.

Its face value was given in words: '100 PESETAS'.

In every other respect it was the same as the previous version.

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In 1993 a new version of the 500 pesetas coin was issued.

It was the same as before in every respect except one.

On the reverse the mint mark was moved higher.

This was to allow room for a latent image.


At one angle, the image showed the Madrid mint mark.

At another angle, it showed the last two digits of the year, e.g. '93'.

The image helped to combat counterfeiting of these high value coins.

This new version was issued from 1993 to 2001.

Here you see the earlier version of the coin for the purposes of comparison.

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From 1998 to 2000, a new version of the 10 pesetas coin was issued.

It was the same as the previous version except in one respect.

The obverse featured a new portrait of the king.

The image seen above is courtesy of coinz.eu.

The site is well worth a visit. It famously insists that every coin has three sides, not just two.

It therefore always shows the third side, namely the edge.

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In 1998, yet another new coin type was introduced.

Even at this late stage before Spain's adoption of the euro.


A new version of the 100 pesetas was issued.

In size, weight and metal, it was the same as before.


However, the obverse showed the updated portrait of an older king.

Additionally, bead circles were added to the obverse and reverse.


The new coin was issued from 1998 through to the year 2000.

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In 1998 another version of the 200 pesetas coin of 1990 was issued.


The obverse showed the king and crown prince as before.

The reverse showed the denomination in a large font.


A decorative motif appeared on the wide rim of the coin.

The new coin was issued from 1998 through to the year 2000.

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A closer look at the reverse of the 200 pesetas coin.

The motif represents the Order of the Golden Fleece.

This collar was part of the coat of arms of King Juan Carlos I.

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Yet another new regular circulation coin issued in 1998 was the 50 pesetas coin.

It weighed 5.6 grams and had a diameter of 20.5 mm.


The coin was innovative in several ways.

The now famous 'Spanish flower' shape, with indented edges, was used.


This was the shape's first use as a regular circulation coin.

The shape had been used earlier in the decade for various Spanish circulating commemorative coins.


The obverse showed a new standing portrait of the king.


The fonts used were quirky and innovative.

Here again the style was influenced by the earlier circulating commemorative coins.


The reverse featured the king's personal arms.

The new coin was issued from 1998 through to the year 2000.

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Even in the year 2000, Spain issued another new regular circulation coin.

This was only two years before the adoption of euro coinage.


It was an aluminium-bronze 25 pesetas coin with a central hole.

It weighed 4.2 grams and had a diameter of 19.5 mm.


The innovative coin shape and fonts were based on those of the earlier circulating commemorative coins.

The reverse design featured the Golden Fleece from the royal family's coat of arms.


The coin was issued also in the year 2001.

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Above you see the three different versions of the aluminium-bronze 100 pesetas coins.

The coins were all of the same size and weight.

Only the image sizes are different.

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In 1990 Spain issued the first of the many innovative circulating commemorative coins that we would see throughout the 1990s. From 1990 to 1992, low value coins were issued to commemorate the Seville Expo '92 and the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics.

Most of the coins did not portray the king on the obverse, but the few that did carried a new and different portrait of him.

Above you see one of the special new coin types that were created for these occasions. The 25 pesetas coin was very different from the regular version. It was made of aluminium-bronze instead of copper-nickel, and unlike any other Spanish coin of the time it had a central hole. It was small, with a diameter of 19.5 mm and weighed 4.2 grams.

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Above you see another of the special new coin types that were created for these occasions. The 50 pesetas coin was also very different from the regular version. It was made of aluminium-bronze instead of copper-nickel, and unlike any other Spanish coin of the time it had a central hole. It was small, with a diameter of 19.5 mm and weighed 4.2 grams. Its shape was highly distinctive. The 'Spanish flower', as it is now known, was later used for the 20 euro cents coins.

The coin was made of copper-nickel. It had a diameter of 20.5 mm and weighed 5.6 grams.

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In 1993 Spain issued a full array of denominations as circulating commemoratives.

Above you see an edited image from Numista.