1 Dollar El Cid

El Cid — Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar — is one of those historical figures whose actual biography is almost unrecognizable beneath centuries of nationalist mythologizing. He fought for both Christian and Muslim rulers during the Reconquista, a mercenary reality that medieval chroniclers and later Spanish nationalists alike found inconvenient to emphasize. Palau has issued dozens of these silver-plated copper collector pieces under its licensed coinage program, none of which circulate.