The Catedral de Santo Domingo — formally the Catedral Basílica Menor de Santa María de la Encarnación — is the oldest surviving European cathedral in the Americas, with construction begun in 1514 and completed around 1541. This commemorative was issued as part of a broader Dominican program marking the new millennium, tying the 2000 date to five centuries of colonial ecclesiastical architecture. The .9999 fineness is notable; most contemporary Latin American gold commemoratives settled for .900.
The Catedral de Santo Domingo — formally the Catedral Basílica Menor de Santa María de la Encarnación — is the oldest surviving European cathedral in the Americas, with construction begun in 1514 and completed around 1541. This commemorative was issued as part of a broader Dominican program marking the new millennium, tying the 2000 date to five centuries of colonial ecclesiastical architecture. The .9999 fineness is notable; most contemporary Latin American gold commemoratives settled for .900.