Spain’s coins feature three designs with effigies of the King, Miguel de Cervantes and the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. There are three series of coins in circulation. All are valid.
For the second series, the coins were slightly redesigned in 2010 in order to comply with the common guidelines issued by the European Commission. The year, for instance, is inscribed on the inner part of the coin.
1, 2 and 5-cent coins: the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a jewel of Spanish Romanesque architecture and one of the most famous pilgrimage destinations in the world, is pictured on these coins. They show the monumental facade of the Obradoiro, a splendid example of Spanish baroque construction, started in 1667 by Jose del Toro and Domingo de Andrade. It was finished in the 18th century by Fernando Casas y Novoa.