Commemorative Coin given to a Descendant of General Manuel Belgrano

BCRA moneda

The President of the BCRA, Miguel Pesce, and the Minister of Culture, Tristán Bauer, gave the commemorative coin of the Bicentennial of the Year General Manuel Belgrano Passed Away to the son of the great-great-great-grandson of the creator of our national flag, who was named Manuel Belgrano after him, and is now President of the Belgrano National Institute (Instituto Nacional Belgraniano). The event took place at the “Héctor Carlos Janson” Numismatic and Historical Museum. Sergio Woyecheszen, BCRA Vice-President; and Arnaldo Bocco, Betina Stein and Claudia Berger, Members of the Board, were also present.

“It is an honor to issue the commemorative coin of Manuel Belgrano. He was too much of an intellectual, committed to his time, to whom we owe gratitude as pioneering of the study of economics in our country,” said Pesce. He added that “General Manuel Belgrano was the creator of our flag and our first coin. When he was in Potosí, the Assembly commissioned him to mint a national coin. Here, at the Museum of the BCRA, we have the largest collection of that coinage.” It is a series of gold and silver coins that are displayed in the museum and are part of the rich heritage of the BCRA.

President Pesce also emphasized the innovative design of the commemorative coin. “For the first time, we minted a coin with the colors of our flag. It is interesting to note that one side features Belgrano’s signature—by this we mean that he was a man of his word—and the other side displays a picture of the monument at Plaza de Mayo with a slight difference: our artist has taken the liberty of drawing the flag waving. For a freedom-loving person, a waving flag is just beautiful,” finished Pesce.

“It is a great honor to receive this coin,” Manuel Belgrano said. “I think that General Belgrano, who had the honor of having our first national coin minted in Potosí in 1813, never envisaged a picture of himself riding a horse with the colors of his flag. He would be as proud and moved as I am now. This coin is going to be a relic in our National Institute.” Belgrano also mentioned the hero´s vision of a statesman. “That vision of the economy and the development of our country was thoroughly based on education. For this reason, he received—possibly the biggest prize our country has ever granted—40,000 pesos fuertes on condition that he may endow four schools. Thus, the virtuous circle of freedom and independence was closed. He gave up his life to fight for his country,” he said.

“He died without a cent to his name, and now there is a silver coin with a picture of him riding a horse and his flag,” remarked Belgrano.

In turn, the Minister of Culture outlined the main traits of the hero’s personality and career. “The man died in poverty. What a great legacy he passed on to Argentina and the Americas! He was born under the flag of the empire, fought for freedom, and died under his flag,” said Bauer.

“It is hard to find words to describe Manuel Belgrano. Not even adjectives make justice to his greatness. I envisage him as a diamond. When you put a diamond in the light, you see it bright, but also with many sides and different faces. We admire Belgrano as educator, economist, military man, lawyer, and revolutionary leader.” The Minister of Culture closed the event by offering congratulations and expressing many thanks to those who made the commemorative coin possible in this year in honor of General Manuel Belgrano. The commemorative coin

In commemoration of the Bicentennial of the Year General Manuel Belgrano Passed Away (1820-2020), the BCRA issued a silver coin. It is the first time that the Argentine flag is displayed in color on the reverse side of the coin, in proof quality.

The main figure on the obverse side is based on the equestrian sculpture of General Manuel Belgrano located in Plaza de Mayo. In the right corner, it reads “1820-2020”, which represents the 200th anniversary of the commemoration of the year General Manuel Belgrano passed away. The upper arch reads “REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA” (ARGENTINE REPUBLIC) and the lower arch, “GRAL. MANUEL BELGRANO”.

The reverse side features the national flag in the center displayed in color, and the hero’s signature on the national symbol. The upper arch reads “XX VI MMXX” and the lower arch, the face value, “UN PESO”.

The coin is made of silver 900, has a diameter of 37 mm and weighs 25 grams. It has a reeded edge. The presentation includes: case, acrylic capsule, and certificate of authenticity. This commemorative coin was designed by the Treasury Strategic Planning Management Office—Numismatic Issuances Deputy Management Office of the BCRA.

The total amount of 3,000 units was coined by Mennica Polska S.A.

In the first stage, this coin can be purchased by sending an email to emisiones.numismaticas@bcra.gob.ar

More information about the coin

Moneda Belgrano

Lunes 21 de diciembre de 2020.

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