250th Anniversary. Spain and the Independence of the USA

The first coin of the 2025 series features on its obverse one of the most enduring symbols of American culture: the bald eagle. This side of the coin presents a colored image of the eagle in full flight, wings outstretched, highlighting its status as a symbol of authority, power, and freedom, qualities achieved by the American people. The eagle soars above the intertwined flags of both nations, signifying their historical bond.

The reverse side depicts Charles III of Spain and George Washington, leaders who played pivotal roles during the American Revolutionary War. Charles III supported the fight against Great Britain, while Washington, as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, led his troops to victory in crucial battles such as Trenton, Princeton, and Yorktown.

The sailor and soldier Jordi Farragut (Menorca, 1755), better known to his American comrades as George Farragut, features on the obverse of this piece. Born in Menorca during British occupation, he fought alongside the colonists as a volunteer and distinguished himself in battles such as Savannah, Charleston, and Cowpens. He is said to have saved a cousin of George Washington during the war, eventually retiring with the rank of major commanding officer. Washington described him as “a short, stocky man; very brave and a lively character.” Jordi Farragut was also the father of David Farragut, the first Admiral in U.S. Navy history

Farragut is also known as the father of David Farragut, who would become the first Admiral in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The reverse displays the port of Mahón, a key commercial hub in the Mediterranean during British rule. The coin’s depiction of the port alludes to the conflict between the Spanish-French coalition and the British for control of the island, a struggle that dealt a major blow to the British fleet.

The obverse of this piece shows the reproduction of a portrait of General Bernardo de Gálvez painted by Mariano Salvador Maella. Bernardo de Gálvez was key in the American War of Independence, leading the Spanish campaigns in the Mississippi territory, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico between 1779 and 1781.

As governor of Louisiana, he organized the capture of important British territories such as Baton Rouge, Mobile, and especially Pensacola. His victory at Pensacola on May 8, 1781, was decisive: he managed to capture an entire garrison and large arsenals, weakening the British presence in the region and restoring the peninsula to the Spanish Crown. For his courage, he received the title of Count of Gálvez and the recognition of “Yo solo” (“I alone”), inscribed on his coat of arms by order of Charles III.

Gálvez was also a key part in the flow of supplies and logistical support to the American rebel armies, easening the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and provisions through New Orleans and the southern Spanish territories. Blocking the port that prevented British access to the Mississippi and the capture of strategic territories on the Caribbean coast, he helped deviate British forces and thereby hastened the victory of the Thirteen Colonies.

His legacy includes the posthumous recognition as an honorary citizen of the United States and the presence of his portrait in the U.S. Capitol, symbolizing the importance of Spain’s contribution to the success of American independence.

It is precisely on the reverse of this coin that we find an image of the Battle of Pensacola (1781) based on an 18th-century engraving. The victory of the troops led by General Gálvez against the British secured control of such an important stronghold as the Gulf of Mexico. This triumph would mark the beginning of the end of the conflict and the birth of a new nation.

This coin features on its obverse the reproduction of an anonymous portrait of Admiral Luis de Córdova, commander of the Spanish fleet. De Córdova went down in history for inflicting the greatest logistical blow ever suffered by the Royal Navy when, at the age of 73, demonstrating remarkable composure and strategic intelligence, he managed to capture a British convoy formed by more than 50 ships bound for North America.

His service record, filled with military victories, earned him royal recognition: first, he was appointed General Director of the Navy and, later, became the second General Captain of the Spanish Navy.

On the reverse, Admiral Luis de Córdova is accompanied by a beautiful reproduction of the ship Santísima Trinidad, based on a 19th-century engraving. Commanded precisely by Admiral Luis de Córdova, this vessel became the flagship of the Spanish Navy. Its impressive 61-meter length, 140 cannons, and a crew of over 1,000 men made the Santísima Trinidad the largest warship of its time.

Admiral José Solano y Bote was another of the most prominent Spanish naval officers in the conflict against the British. The obverse of this coin pays tribute to the Extremaduran, whose escort of a convoy of 105 ships and 12,500 soldiers to reinforce the troops at the front (1780) was considered a feat.

Upon his return to Spain, he was named Marquis of Socorro for his invaluable contribution to the war. Years later, he would become the 9th General Captain of the Spanish Navy.

The reverse evokes that fleet of 105 ships (also noted in the legend) in reference to the convoy of 105 vessels that transported more than 12,000 soldiers to American territory to fight in Florida. Just a year later (1781), the conquest of West Florida would be completed at the Battle of Pensacola, led by General Bernardo de Gálvez.

Royal Commissioner Francisco de Saavedra y Sangronis, who appears on the obverse of this piece, played an important role as royal commissioner in expelling the British from the Gulf of Mexico during the campaign led by Bernardo de Gálvez. He also worked toward recovering Jamaica, Britain’s main base in the Caribbean, by planning the Franco-Spanish offensive. His logistical planning and strategic skills were decisive in achieving these important conquests.

However, his greatest achievement was undoubtedly obtaining the necessary funding for the military operation at Yorktown (1781) in record time, with which the Continental Army and Admiral de Grasse’s fleet delivered the final blow to the British.

And it is precisely this victory at Yorktown (Virginia) that is commemorated on the reverse of this coin. The surrender of Lord Cornwallis, thanks to the support from Francisco de Saavedra and the military operations commanded by Washington (Continental Army) and Rochambeau and de Grasse (French forces), hastened the end of the war.

The obverse of the coin reproduces the Isabella Quarter, the first U.S. commemorative coin, which shows a bust of Queen Isabella I of Castile, a key historical figure for sponsoring Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the New World.

The reverse shows the facing busts of Charles III (left) and George Washington (right), highlighting the role both played in shaping the outcome of the struggle against the British and the subsequent liberation and independence of the American people.