Discover Spain’s new coin collection marking 250 years of U.S. Independence—and the story behind the Spanish Dollar
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Independence of the United States, the Instituto Cervantes in New York will present on April 8 the coin collection “250th Anniversary. Spain and the Independence of the United States,” issued by the Royal Mint of Spain.
The event highlights the fundamental role of the Real de a Ocho, the Spanish coin that circulated widely throughout the Thirteen Colonies and that, after the adoption of the dollar in 1785, continued to be used for decades.
This Hispanic coin —the origin of the “$” symbol— remained part of the country’s economic life until it was banned in 1857, and it still held relevance during the Civil War, when Spanish silver backed banknotes issued by private banks.
The program will feature Isabel Valldecabres (President–Director General of the Royal Mint of Spain), who will present the commemorative issue; Enrique Torres Piñeyro, Vice Admiral–Director of the Institute of Naval History and Culture; Ricardo A. Fernández González (Director of MUCAIN); and David J. Ryder, former Director of the United States Mint, who will join the conversation. Together, they will discuss the historical and symbolic influence of the Real de a Ocho as the true “Currency of Independence.”
The event will conclude with a Spanish wine reception.
The Instituto Cervantes is the public institution established by Spain in 1991 to promote the teaching, study and use of Spanish and to disseminate Hispanic cultures throughout the world.
At our 103 centres, located in 52 countries, we offer courses in Spanish and Spain’s co-official languages, as well as training for Spanish teachers, and we organise the exams for the official Spanish language qualifications DELE and SIELE, and the CCSE tests for Spanish citizenship…
Instituto Cervantes NYC
211-215 East 49th StreetNew York, NY 10017
