250TH USA - FIRST US DOLLAR SILVER COINID92957022
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 is highlighted.
The obverse of this coin reproduces an image of the obverse and reverse of the first American numismatic dollar.
The reverse features a representation of the motifs and legends of an eight-real coin.
| Series | 250th Anniversary. Spain And The Independence Of The Usa |
| Denomination | 8 Reales |
| Year | 2025 |
| Quality | Proof |
| Diameter (mm) | 40 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 10 |
| Alloy (‰) | 925 |
| Metal | Silver |
| Weight (g) | 27 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 10,000 |
250th Anniversary of the United States - First Dollar 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 obverse of this other coin shows a representation of the obverse and reverse of the ‘FIRST AMERICAN DOLLAR’, as stated in one of the legends engraved on this coin. The Coinage Act of 1792 established the US dollar as the official currency, whose value and specifications would be those of the Spanish real de a ocho. However, Spanish dollars remained in circulation for many years.
The design and size of the Spanish dollar influenced the development of the US dollar, which is why a representation of the former is featured on the reverse side of the coin.
The reverse features the image of the column minted on the Spanish dollar or “piece of eight” with the inscriptions “VTRAQUE VNUM”, “1775 – THE SPANISH MILLED DOLLAR – 1857”. This coin was widely accepted and used in the United States before the American Revolution and well into the 19th century for two main reasons: the scarcity of British currency and the reliability and standardisation of the Spanish dollar. This acceptance was such that, in 1806, a law officially allowed the use of foreign coins (such as the Spanish dollar) as legal tender in the country, a legal backing that remained in place until 1857, when another law revoked this authorisation and established the US dollar as the sole official currency.