As of March 12, the National Police becomes the first Spanish police force to have a two-euro coin as legal tender. It commemorates the 200th anniversary of the creation of the Police and can be used in any economic transaction carried out in different countries throughout the euro zone. In total, one and a half million coins have been issued.
In the new coin minted by the National Mint and Stamp Factory, as stated in the Official State Gazette in its edition of November 7, 2023, the official shield of the Corps appears and, above it, a circular legend in which can be read “National Police 1824-2024”.
At the bottom of the emblem the legend “Spain” appears, also in a circular sense and in capital letters, all surrounded by the twelve stars of the European Union, located in the outer circular area of the coin.
This coin has the same characteristics, properties and common face as the other two euro coins issued by Spain and the rest of the Eurozone countries. What makes the difference is the motif that appears on the national face.
The new currency can be used in the 20 countries that have the euro as their official currency, which together form the eurozone. Currently, and according to data from the European Union itself, more than 341 million people use the euro every day, making it the second most used currency in the world.
The first commemorative two-euro coin issued exclusively by Spain was in 2005 and was dedicated to the fourth centenary of the first edition of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha.
The second came out in 2010, five years later, and since then, every year without exception a commemorative coin has been dedicated in Spain to a place in the national territory declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The forecast is that it will continue to be this way for the next few years.
Exceptionally, in the years 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2023, a second commemorative coin was also issued, dedicated to the change in the Head of State in 2014, to the 50th anniversary of the birth of King Felipe VI in 2018, to the fifth centenary of the first around the world —led by the Spaniard Juan Sebastián Elcano— in 2022 and to the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2023.
And to all these events of historical relevance, in 2024 we will add the second centenary of the creation of the National Police. It was King Ferdinand VII who issued the Royal Decree in 1824 by which the General Police of the Kingdom was created due to the need to provide Spanish cities with a modern security structure.
In addition to this two-euro legal tender coin, a ten-euro collector's coin has also been issued to commemorate the bicentennial of the Police. The characteristics of this collector's coin are also included in the BOE, in this case in that of January 25, 2024.
The portrait of His Majesty King Felipe VI is reproduced on the obverse. The image of the King changes compared to previous years, this time showing a current image of the monarch with a beard. On the back the logo of the bicentennial of the National Police is reproduced in color. At the bottom, the legends “Service, dignity, dedication and loyalty” appear.
