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The Spanish Royal Mint (FNMT-RCM) launched a commemorative series in 2025 dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, highlighting Spain's contribution to this historic event. In the first phase, released on October 6, 2025, the first three coins in the collection were issued, while the remaining coins were reserved for release this year. ( You can learn more about the 2025 coins in this article from Numismática Visual.)
Now, with the 2026 issues, this magnificent collection of euro collector coins will be complete, consisting of a total of ten pieces: eight 8-real coins (10 euros), one 4-escudo coin (200 euros), and one 50-escudo coin (50 euros). Below, we review the coins that will be issued on Monday, March 16, their designs, sketches, and historical context.
8 Reales Coins (€10) – 2026 Issues
General Bernardo de Gálvez – Battle of Pensacola (1781).
Obverse: Portrait of General Bernardo de Gálvez, by the painter Mariano Salvador Maella, honoring one of the great Spanish heroes of the American Revolutionary War. Gálvez led the Spanish campaigns in the Mississippi Valley, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico (1779–1781), capturing key British strongholds such as Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Pensacola, the latter on May 8, 1781. For his decisive victory at Pensacola—where he captured an entire garrison and large arsenals—he was named Count of Gálvez and authorized to use the motto "Yo solo" (I alone) on his coat of arms, in recognition of his valor. Furthermore, as governor of Louisiana, he provided supplies, weapons, and logistical support to the American rebels through New Orleans, helping to weaken British forces and hasten the victory of the Thirteen Colonies.
Reverse: Scene from the Battle of Pensacola (1781) based on a historical engraving. The image commemorates how the victory of Gálvez's troops against the British secured control of the strategic Gulf of Mexico, marking "the beginning of the end" of the conflict and paving the way for the birth of the new North American nation.
Admiral Luis de Córdova – Ship Santísima Trinidad.
Obverse: Portrait of Admiral Luis de Córdova y Córdova, commander of the Spanish fleet during the war. This veteran mariner, at 73 years of age, dealt the British Royal Navy the greatest logistical blow in its history: in 1780 he captured a convoy of more than 50 British ships bound for North America. His brilliant service record earned him the appointment as Director General of the Navy and, later, as the second Captain General of the Spanish Navy.
Reverse: Reproduction of the legendary Spanish warship Santísima Trinidad, based on a 19th-century engraving. This imposing 61-meter-long vessel, armed with 140 cannons and a crew of over 1,000, was the flagship of the Spanish Navy and a symbol of its naval power. The presence of the Santísima Trinidad alongside the portrait of Córdova highlights the feat of this admiral commanding the largest warship of his time.
Reverse: an allegory of the "Fleet of One Hundred Ships," a direct reference to the convoy of 105 vessels led by Solano. Numerous ships are shown in formation, as indicated by the engraved legend. This image evokes the massive support of troops who arrived in America to fight in Florida, foreshadowing the culmination of the reconquest of West Florida in 1781 after Gálvez's victory at Pensacola.
Reverse: Depiction of the surrender at Yorktown (Virginia, 1781), the battle that marked the end of the war. It commemorates the capitulation of British General Lord Cornwallis to the Continental Army of George Washington and the French allies of Rochambeau and de Grasse. This victory, facilitated by the financial and logistical support that Saavedra secured, precipitated the end of the American Revolutionary War, and is immortalized on the coin with the inscription “Yorktown 1781” or another legend alluding to the battle.
Reverse: Facing busts of Charles III (left) and George Washington (right), the two leaders at the head of their nations during the war. This design highlights the crucial collaboration between Spain and the rebel colonies: Charles III, an ally of the independence fighters through his pact with France, and Washington, the victorious commander-in-chief in the fight against Great Britain, whose destinies converged to achieve American independence. The legend reads “REVOLUTIONARY WAR” and other commemorative texts, underscoring the union of these two figures on this coin.
Gold 4 escudos – Charles III & George Washington (Isabel I of Castile).
The presence of Washington and Charles III together on the most valuable coin in the collection is no coincidence: it symbolizes, on the one hand, Washington's military leadership on the battlefield and, on the other, Charles III's influence in supporting the independence cause from the Spanish throne. Without Charles III's alliance (and his determined interest in weakening Great Britain in the Americas) and, ultimately, without Spain's financial and military support, the final victory of 1783 would not have been possible. Likewise, the nod to Elizabeth I serves as a reminder that without Columbus's first voyage, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs, the seed of the bond that would unite both nations would never have been sown.
Fifty 50 € – “The Thirteen Salvos” & Protagonists of the Collection.
Reverse: Framing the face value of €50 are portraits, housed in oval medallions, of all the key figures represented on the coins in the collection. Surrounding the number 50 EURO, we can identify the busts of Charles III, George Washington, Luis de Córdova, Francisco de Saavedra, José Solano, and Bernardo de Gálvez, along with their names. In this way, the 50 euro coin brings together in a single piece the key figures and symbols of the Spanish contribution to American independence, serving as a brilliant numismatic conclusion to the series.
The technical characteristics of each 2026 coin are summarized below. All coins have been minted in proof quality (matte relief on a mirror background) by the FNMT-RCM (Royal Mint of Spain) and feature different designs on their obverses and reverses, as described above. The mintages (maximum quantities minted) have already been officially established, while the initial retail prices were set by the Ministry of Economy but may be adjusted according to the price of precious metals.
8 reales – Luis de Córdova €10 925‰ Silver (Sterling) 27 g 40 mm Proof 10,000 pieces
8 reales – José Solano y Bote €10 925‰ Silver (Sterling) 27 g 40 mm Proof 10,000 pieces
8 reales – F. Saavedra and Sangronis €10 925‰ Silver (Sterling) 27 g 40 mm Proof 10,000 pieces
8 reales – Elizabeth I & Washington €10 925‰ Silver (Sterling) 27 g 40 mm Proof 10,000 pieces
4 escudos – Gold (Charles III/Washington) €200 999% Gold 13.5 g 30 mm Proof 2,000 pieces
Fifty-five – Silver (13 salutes) €50 925‰ Silver (Sterling) 168.75 g 73 mm Proof 3,000 pieces
(Notes: “8 reales” is equivalent to the traditional Spanish Real de a Ocho, the basis of the first US dollar; “4 escudos” is equivalent to approximately 2 ounces of gold. The 2026 8-real coins bear the year 2026 in their legend “ESPAÑA 2026”, while those of the first series of 2025 bore “ESPAÑA 2025”, according to their date of issue.)
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