Andorra

2019

Commemorative coin

600 years of the Council of the Land

Official Journal of the European Union

The design commemorates the 600th anniversary of the creation of the Consell de la Terra (Council of the Land). It was a representative body created in 1419, predecessor of the Consell General (General Council), the parliament of Andorra. The design depicts the upper part of the entry portal of Casa de la Vall (the parliament’s old seat), with the coat of arms of the country and a fragment of a window above it. Two compact groups of human faces on both sides of the design, as if they were stones of the building, mean the cohesion of Andorrans as a social community united in history, institutions and values. The inscription ‘600 ANYS DEL CONSELL DE LA TERRA’ (600 years of the Council of the Land) at the top, and the name of the issuing country ‘ANDORRA’ and both year dates ‘1419’ and ‘2019’ in the middle of the number ‘600’ below complete the design. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

In 1419, with the approval of the two princes of Andorra - Francesc de Tovia, 1415-1436 Bishop of Urgell, and John I, 1412-1436 Count of Foix - the "Consell de la Terra" (Council of the Earth) was created, a kind of original parliament and the most important representative body of Andorra. He was the forerunner of the present Consell General de les Valls (General Council of the Valleys) and gathered the heads of the most important Andorran families. At present the General Council consists of 28 members of the board, half of whom are elected through parish lists. The coin depicts the upper arched stones of the portal of the Casa de la Vall in Andorra la Vella bearing the name "ANDORRA", above which is the coat of arms of Andorra flanked by seventeen faces shown in profile. Above its Latin motto, "VIRTUS UNITA FORTIOR" (United is Virtue Stronger), the coat of arms shows the mitre and crosier of the Bishop of Urgell, Prince of Andorra, three stakes of the coat of arms of Foix and four of Catalonia respectively, and the two cows of the Counts of Béarn. Above it, we can still see the lower part of a window of the Casa de la Vall.

Edge lettering

Designer