Ferdinand Magellan was among a stable of famous Portuguese explorers in the centuries when that nation was engaged in widespread global exploration.

He is the subject of the Proof 2021 .925 fine silver €7.5 coin in Portugal’s four-year series honoring his famous expedition 500 years ago. The coin program began in 2019 and continues through 2022.

The 2021 issue focuses on the island of Mactan, in the Philippines, where Magellan lived his last moments, paying a high price for his audacity.

However, the navigator’s death didn’t end his epic enterprise, which was completed in 1522 by Sebastián Elcano, the subject of the 2022 issue in the fourth and final commemorative coin dedicated to the last stage of the circumnavigation.

Design details

Luís Filipe Abreu designed the 2021 coin, which shows a close-up of the explorer on the obverse and a scene from his death on Mactan on the reverse.

The coin weighs 13.5 grams and measures 33 millimeters in diameter. It has a mintage limit of 2,500 pieces and comes packaged in a case with numbered warranty certificate.

It retails for €59 from the Portuguese State Mint.

To order, visit the firm’s website, www.incm.pt.

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