25 Cèntims - Joan Martí i Alanis FAO

Andorra did not issue coins for general circulation until 1982, and even then the early releases were collector-oriented rather than functionally monetary — the country had long relied on French francs and Spanish pesetas under an informal dual-currency arrangement that required no domestic coinage at all. This 1995 piece was issued under the FAO coin program, a United Nations initiative that encouraged member and associated states to produce coins commemorating food security and agricultural development. Joan Martí i Alanis served as Bishop of Urgell from 1971 to 2003, a role that carries with it the co-princeship of Andorra by centuries-old tradition.