250th Anniversary of the United States - Farrragut 8 Reales.

To mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, a series of collector coins is being issued. Under this theme, and reflected in the coin designs, the Spanish contribution to the success of the war in favour of the Thirteen American Colonies will be highlighted. Key figures such as King Charles III of Spain and the first President of the United States, George Washington, together with General Bernardo de Gálvez, Admiral Luis de Córdova and others, added to the enormous financial and logistical support provided by Spain, which took the form of huge sums of silver eight-real coins, the Spanish Milled Dollar, the origin of the first American dollar.

The sailor and soldier Jordi Farragut (Menorca, 1755), better known to his American comrades as George Farragut, is the subject of the obverse of this coin. Born and raised in Menorca during the British occupation, he fought as a volunteer alongside the colonists against the British. After making his mark in battles such as Savannah, Charleston and Cowpens, where he is said to have saved the man who would eventually become the first president of the United States, George Washington, he retired from the army with the rank of senior commanding officer. Washington himself would describe him as ‘a short, stocky man; very brave and a funny genius’.

Farragut is also known for being the father of David Farragut, who would become the first Admiral in the history of the United States Navy.