Gibraltar's football commemoratives of 1990 coincided with the territory's complicated relationship with Spain — the land border had only been fully reopened in 1985 after a sixteen-year closure ordered by Franco in 1969. Issuing a coin to mark a World Cup hosted by Spain carried a quiet political edge that the Royal Mint's involvement did nothing to diminish.
KM#37a is the silver proof variant of a type also struck in cupro-nickel. The .925 specification matches the standard then used across most Commonwealth commemorative crown-sized issues of the period.
Gibraltar's football commemoratives of 1990 coincided with the territory's complicated relationship with Spain — the land border had only been fully reopened in 1985 after a sixteen-year closure ordered by Franco in 1969. Issuing a coin to mark a World Cup hosted by Spain carried a quiet political edge that the Royal Mint's involvement did nothing to diminish.
KM#37a is the silver proof variant of a type also struck in cupro-nickel. The .925 specification matches the standard then used across most Commonwealth commemorative crown-sized issues of the period.