Spain Juan Carlos I 200 Pesetas

History

200 Pesetas 1990, KM# 855, Spain, Juan Carlos I

Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com

Description

Juan Carlos I (born 5 January 1938) reigned as King of Spain from 1975 until his abdication in 2014. Juan Carlos is the grandson of Alfonso XIII, the last king of Spain prior to the monarchy's abolition in 1931 and the subsequent declaration of the Second Spanish Republic. Following his victory in the Spanish Civil War in 1939, Generalísimo Francisco Franco, the Spanish dictator, took over the government of Spain and in 1947, Spain's status as a monarchy was affirmed and a law was passed allowing Franco to choose his successor. Franco died in November the following year and Juan Carlos became king on 22 November 1975, two days after Franco's death, the first reigning monarch since 1931. Expected to continue Franco's legacy, soon after his accession, Juan Carlos, however, introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and begin the Spanish transition to democracy. This led to the approval of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum, which re-established a constitutional monarchy.

Obverse	Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Juan Carlos I, Felipe VI Conjoined busts of King and Crown Prince right. Felipe VI (Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is the King of Spain. He ascended to the throne on 19 June 2014 upon the abdication of his father, King Juan Carlos I. He is the only son of Juan Carlos and his wife Sofía of Greece and Denmark. When Juan Carlos was chosen in 1969 to be Francisco Franco's successor, Felipe became second in line to the Spanish throne. Engraver: Rafael Vallejo JUAN CARLOS I REY DE ESPANA • 1990 •
Reverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Lion Construction (building, bridge etc.) Fountain Deity (god, goddess etc.) Cybele Cibeles Fountain statue within a circle. Denomination above, mintmark below. The Cibeles Fountain, created in 1782 and situated in its current location since 1895, has ended up lending its name to one of the most emblematic squares of Madrid. It has also become a symbol of the capital. The Fountain depicts the Roman goddess of the same name, symbol of the Earth, agriculture, and fertility, atop a chariot drawn by lions. It is located in the centre of the Plaza de Cibeles and is surrounded by the grand buildings of the Buenavista Palace (the Army’s General Headquarters), the Linares Palace (Casa de América), the Palace of Communications (previously the Post Office headquarters and currently the Mayor of Madrid’s Office) and the Bank of Spain. The goddess and the lions were sculpted in purple marble from the town of Montesclaros (Toledo), and the rest in stone from Redueña, an area 32 miles to the north of Madrid, close to the La Cabrera mountain range. Francisco Gutiérrez sculpted the main figure, the goddess Cybele. The two lions, sculpted by French sculptor Roberto Michel, pull the chariot. The lions represent the mythological characters Hippomenes and Atalanta. The Fountain was not only an artistic monument. From its beginnings, it was also very useful to the citizens of Madrid. It had two standpipes that were in operation until 1862. One pipe provided water for the official water carriers, usually Asturians and Galicians, who carried water to the houses. The other was for the general public. Horses drank from the basin. The goddess is also an icon for Real Madrid F.C. fans, as the cups the Madrid team wins are celebrated with her, as are the successes of the Spanish National Football Team. Engraver: Francisco Martinez • 200 PESETAS • • M •
Edge	Reeded (milled)