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A 2 euro commemorative coin of the Republic of San Marino, issued in 2006 in a circulation of 130,000 copies. Dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the death of Christopher Columbus. Minted in IPZS, Rome. Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g.
Obverse
The center of the coin depicts the profile of Christopher Columbus in the characteristic hat of a navigator of the Age of Discovery. Next to it is the caravel "Santa Maria". Above is "San Marino". Below are the dates "1506-2006" with the mark "R". 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 is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map with six thin horizontal lines in the background. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union. The band is finely grooved, with the inscription "2 ★" repeated 6 times, alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
Christopher Columbus (Italian: Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish: Cristóbal Colón, c. 1451 - May 20, 1506) was a Genoese navigator in the Spanish service, the most famous explorer in history, who discovered America for Europe in 1492. He was born in Genoa into a modest family of a wool weaver. In his youth, he traveled the Mediterranean Sea as a merchant sailor. In 1485, he moved to Spain, where, after several years of negotiations, he received support from Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon for his expedition - the search for a western route to India. On August 3, 1492, he set sail from Palos with three ships ("Santa Maria", "Pinta", "Nina"). On October 12, 1492, the sailors saw the New World - an island in the Bahamas (probably San Salvador). Columbus made four transatlantic voyages (1492-1493, 1493-1496, 1498-1500, 1502-1504). He died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid (Spain) in poverty, until the end of his life never realizing that he had discovered a new continent.