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500 Pesos Santa Maria's Shipwreck
| Issuer | Banco Central de la República Dominicana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1990 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts a dramatic scene of the shipwreck of the Santa María, showing the three-masted carrack listing heavily in rough seas, her sails still partially set. In the foreground, a longboat carries Columbus and members of his crew away from the stricken vessel toward safety. In the exergue, the inscriptions NAUFRAGIO DE LA SANTA MARIA and the date 1990 appear, flanked by stars. The upper legend, arcing along the periphery, reads V CENTENARIO DEL DESCUBRIMIENTO Y EVANGELIZACION DE AMERICA, commemorating the fifth centenary of the discovery and evangelization of the Americas. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Santa María ran aground on a reef off the northern coast of Hispaniola on Christmas Day, 1492, and was deliberately dismantled by Columbus's crew — her timbers used to construct the small fort of La Navidad. The wreck site remained disputed for centuries. In 1968, underwater archaeologist Carl Clausen led a search under the auspices of the Dominican government, and renewed efforts in the 1980s generated enough national interest to inspire this commemorative issue.
The 1990 date coincides with the lead-up to the Quincentenary of Columbus's first voyage, which drove a wave of commemorative coinage across Latin America and Spain.