Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 10 Euro 2011, KM# 339, Italy, Eurostar - European Explorers, Amerigo Vespucci
  • 10 Euro 2011, KM# 339, Italy, Eurostar - European Explorers, Amerigo Vespucci
Description

Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512) was an Italian merchant, explorer, and navigator from the Republic of Florence, from whose name the term "America" is derived.

Between 1497 and 1504, Vespucci participated in at least two voyages of the Age of Discovery, first on behalf of Spain (1499–1500) and then for Portugal (1501–1502). In 1503 and 1505, two booklets were published under his name, containing colourful descriptions of these explorations and other alleged voyages. Both publications were extremely popular and widely read across much of Europe. Although historians still dispute the authorship and veracity of these accounts, at the time they were instrumental in raising awareness of the new discoveries and enhancing the reputation of Vespucci as an explorer and navigator.

Vespucci claimed to have understood, back in 1501 during his Portuguese expedition, that Brazil was part of a continent new to Europeans, which he called the "New World". The claim inspired cartographer Martin Waldseemüller to recognize Vespucci's accomplishments in 1507 by applying the Latinized form "America" for the first time to a map showing the New World. Other cartographers followed suit, and by 1532 the name America was permanently affixed to the newly discovered continents.

It is unknown whether Vespucci was ever aware of these honours. In 1505, he was made a citizen of Castile by royal decree and in 1508, he was appointed to the newly created position of piloto mayor (master navigator) for Spain's Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) in Seville, a post he held until his death in 1512.

The collector coin is part of the Europa Coin Programme, also known as the European Silver Programme, or the Eurostar Programme. It is an initiative dedicated to the issuance of collector-oriented legal tender coins in precious metals to celebrate European identity. The issuing authorities of EU member countries voluntarily contribute coins to the Europa Coin Programme. Multiple countries have participated in the programme, beginning in 2004. Some coins are denominated in euro, others are denominated in other currencies.

Obverse

Depicts a portrait of Amerigo Vespucci from an old engraving. In the background the ship (carrack) which the explorer used during his voyages. The Eurostar logo (the special mark used on coins to indicate participation in the Europa Coin Programme) and the engraver's name below.

A carrack (Portuguese: nau; Spanish: nao; Catalan: carraca; Croatian: karaka) is a three- or four-masted ocean-going sailing ship that was developed in the 14th to 15th centuries in Europe, most notably in Portugal. Evolved from the single-masted cog, the carrack was first used for European trade from the Mediterranean to the Baltic and quickly found use with the newly found wealth of the trade between Europe and Africa and then the trans-Atlantic trade with the Americas.

Engraver: Luciana De Simoni

REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
L. DE SIMONI

Reverse

Depicts a free interpretation of the Waldseemüller map. Value is at top, near the North Pole, while below the map are the date, the engraver's name and the mintmark (R).

The Waldseemüller map or Universalis Cosmographia ("Universal Cosmography") is a printed wall map of the world by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, originally published in April 1507. It is known as the first map to use the name "America". The name America is placed on South America on the main map. As explained in Cosmographiae Introductio, the name was bestowed in honor of the Italian Amerigo Vespucci.

The map is drafted on a modification of Ptolemy's second projection, expanded to accommodate the Americas and the high latitudes. A single copy of the map survives, presently housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Waldseemüller also created globe gores, printed maps designed to be cut out and pasted onto spheres to form globes of the Earth. The wall map, and his globe gores of the same date, depict the American continents in two pieces. These depictions differ from the small inset map in the top border of the wall map, which shows the two American continents joined by an isthmus.

Engraver: Uliana Pernazza

EU 10 RO
AMERICA
2011 R
U. PERNAZZA
AMERIGO
VESPUCCI

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 22 g
Diameter 34 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS)

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Eurostar - European Explorers

Silver, 17 g, ⌀ 33 mm