Portugal 2011 2€ Fernão Mendes Pinto

The inner part of the coin commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of Fernão Mendes Pinto, a Portuguese explorer whose book on his discoveries and adventures in the seas and countries of Asia was published posthumously under title “Peregrinação” (Pilgrimage), depicts a sailing ship floating on a sea formed by a series of wave-shaped references to Portugal, Lisbon, his book and some of the destinations of his travels, With the country designation “Portugal” centred beneath them. His name flanked by the dates “1511” and “2011” form a semicircle around the upper edge of the inner part. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European Union.