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Commemorative coin of 2 euros of Portugal, issued in 2022 with a circulation of 520,000 copies. Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic air flight. Minted at INCM, Lisbon. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
In the center of the coin is a stylized Fairey IIID seaplane over the Atlantic Ocean. Next to it are portraits of Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral. Above — «PRIMEIRA TRAVESSIA AÉREA DO ATLÂNTICO SUL», below — «PORTUGAL 1922-2022». INCM mark. On the outer ring are the 12 five-pointed stars of the European Union.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix (Royal Belgian Mint). It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders - a symbol of European unity. On the left - a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right - a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring - 12 stars of the European Union. The band - with thin ribbing and the inscription of five shields alternating with seven castles - motifs of the Portuguese coat of arms.
Historical context
The first transatlantic air flight from Europe to South America is a historical event that took place from March 30 to June 17, 1922. The feat was accomplished by two Portuguese aviators: Admiral Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho (1869-1959) as navigator, and Captain Artur de Sacadura Cabral Freire (1881-1924) as pilot. The expedition set off from Lisbon on March 30, 1922 on a Fairey IIID Mark II “Lusitânia” seaplane. Route: Lisbon — Las Palmas (Canary Islands) — São Vincente (Cape Verde) — São Pedro and São Paulo — Fernando de Noronha — Recife — Salvador — Rio de Janeiro (arrival June 17, 1922). Total distance — about 8,383 km, flight time — 62 hours 26 minutes. This was the first ever crossing of the South Atlantic by air, and it was done with the help of a newly invented navigational instrument, the sextant, by Gago Coutinho. The pilots became national heroes of Portugal. Sacadura Cabral died in 1924, and Gago Coutinho died in 1959.