Columbus and Gold

Columbus recorded in his ship’s log on October 12, 1492 that the men on the Pinta spotted land at 2 am. Later in the day, all three ships landed on an island “about 15 leagues long, very flat, full of green trees and much fruit. It abounded in springs and had a lake in the middle.”  This date has long been recognized as the date Columbus discovered the Americas.

Many different countries, not just the US, recognize October 12 as Columbus Day. Since 1971, the United States has celebrated Columbus Day on the second Monday in October.

Interestingly, during the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the date Columbus discovered the New World was not adjusted.  Had it been, we would be celebrating Columbus’s discovery on October 21 instead.

Either way, since today, Monday, October 11, is the 2010 recognized holiday for Columbus Day, we will honor his discovery and the increase in the value of gold with a couple of pictures of the Columbus Quincentenary $5 Gold coin.

The Quincentenary, of course, occurred in 1992 either on October 12 (or 21, if you adjust for the shift from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar). The US Mint recognized the year of the Quincentenary with a clad half dollar, a silver dollar and a gold $5 coin.

Let’s look at the $5 gold coin.

First, the obverse by US Mint artist and engraver, T. James Ferrell, shows a left-facing Columbus looking toward the coastline map of the New World.

1992 Columbus Quincentenary Five Dollar Gold Coin - obverse

The reverse by Thomas D. Rogers depicts the crest of the Admiral of the Ocean Sea.

1992 Columbus Quincentenary Five Dollar Gold Coin - reverse

In addition to becoming famous for his voyage in 1492, royalty granted Christopher Columbus the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea. Furthermore, in May of 1493, the Sovereigns granted the newly created nobleman the right to bear arms, and in a letter, described the coat of arms as such:

“You may place above your arms a castle and a lion that we grant you for arms, viz. the gold castle on a green field in the upper quarter of the shield of your arms on the dexter hand and in the other upper quarter on the sinister hand a purple lion rampant with green tongue on a white field, and in the other quarter below on the dexter hand some gold islands in the waves of the sea, and in the other quarter below on the sinister hand your own arms which you are accustomed to bear.”

By 1502, Columbus added the emerging continent next to the “golden islands” and included five anchors in the bottom right quandrant.

On the quincentenary gold coin, a map and stylized compass reside to the right and behind the coat of arms.

For more information about the historical comments mentioned above, try these books:

Christopher Columbus and the European Discovery of America by Robert Hume page 37

Admiral of the Ocean Sea – A Life of Christopher Columbus by Samuel Eliot Morison page 362