BATTLE OF LEPANTO (2021) 50 EURO SILVER COINID92917005
2021 marks the 450th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto,. To commemorate this event the FNMT is issuing two silver coins, one 8 Reales and one Cincuentin.
The Battle of Lepanto was the last and largest naval battle fought by rowing galleys, which took place on 7 October 1571 in the Gulf of Patras, on the west coast of Greece, and takes its name from the port of Lepanto.
The obverse of the coin shows, at the top, a detail of the head of the portrait of Philip II by Titian, which is in the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, and on the left, the portrait of Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, by Rafael Tegeo, which is in the Museo Naval in Madrid. On the right is a portrait of Don Juan de Austria by Alonso Sánchez Coello, which is kept in the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales, Madrid. Between both there are some “pikes”, a former weapon very well used by the spanish troops.
On the reverse is a detail of the lithograph called Batalla Naval de Lepanto by Vicente Urrabieta, from the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
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Information about the Coin
| Denomination | Cincuentin |
| Year | 2021 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Quality | Proof |
| Diameter (mm) | 73 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 50 |
| Alloy (‰) | 925 |
| Metal | Silver |
| Weight (g) | 168.75 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 2,500 |
450TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO
The Battle of Lepanto was the last and largest naval battle fought by oared galleys, which took place on 7 October 1571 in the Gulf of Patras on the west coast of Greece, named after the port of Lepanto.
Ottoman ships had been pushing pressing for control of the western Mediterranean for years. The Italian and Spanish coasts were increasingly threatened and Malta was almost taken in 1565.The Spanish Empire, the Papal States, the Republic of Venice, the Order of Malta, the Republic of Genoa and the Duchy of Savoy formed an alliance to confront the Ottoman Empire's navy and stop its advance, the so-called Holy League.
The main supporters of the Holy League were King Philip II and Pope Pius V. The Holy League fleet was led by D. John of Austria while on the Ottoman side its leader was Commander Ali.