St. James's / CNG
Auction 29 - The Lissner Collection 1-2 August 2014
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SPAIN, Unió Catalanista (Catalan Union). 1891-1936. AR Peseta (22mm, 4.87 g, 6h). Dated 1900. Vicente UC/3. In NGC encapsulation graded MS 65. Gem uncirculated with a hint of violet patina.
Purchased from H. Christensen.
The Unión Catalanista (Catalan Unió Catalanista) was a political organization of Catalan nationalists and local trade unions for the purpose of resisting Article 15 of the Código Civil de España, which threatened to remove the force of Catalan civil law in favor of a national law code. Founded in 1891 in Barcelona for the purpose of uniting all Catalans, regardless of personal ideologies, the Unión tried to incorporate the resurgence of romantic Catalan national sentiment, known as Renaixença, which had been growing during the nineteenth century, with a practical Catalan political nationalism. In 1892, the Unión approved the Bases per a la Constitució Regional Catalana, better known as the Bases Manresas, a regional constitution inspired by similar earlier medieval and modern Catalan counterparts, and one which promoted Catalan autonomy, short of actual separatism – a conflict which the Unión struggled to resolve in a series of annual assemblies meeting throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. Between 1901 and 1904, the crisis came to a head. Union advocates of the Bases refused to participate in politics or stand for election, while the more nationalistic leaders allied themselves with the conservative Lliga de Catalunya as their political voice, and devoted themselves to encouraging Catalan nationalistic celebrations. As a result of this continuing struggle between these two groups, the Unión became increasingly marginalized as a political entity, eventually being disbanded at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
In 1900, at the height of its power, the Unión struck a series of coins in gold, silver, and bronze. Although they do not list specific denominations on them, the coins were struck on the same weight standard as Spanish issues, in order to circulate outside of Catalunya within Spain itself, as well as Spanish-speaking territories. All denominations are of a single type: St. George (Catalan Sant Jordi) – the patron saint of Catalunya – on the obverse and the arms of Catalunya on the reverse. The Latin legend, VINDICAMUS HÆREDITATEM PATRUM NOSTRORUM (We claim the inheritance of our fathers), underscores the nationalistic intent of these coins – to promote Catalan nationalist aspirations under the leadership of the Unión Catalanista.
Purchased from H. Christensen.
The Unión Catalanista (Catalan Unió Catalanista) was a political organization of Catalan nationalists and local trade unions for the purpose of resisting Article 15 of the Código Civil de España, which threatened to remove the force of Catalan civil law in favor of a national law code. Founded in 1891 in Barcelona for the purpose of uniting all Catalans, regardless of personal ideologies, the Unión tried to incorporate the resurgence of romantic Catalan national sentiment, known as Renaixença, which had been growing during the nineteenth century, with a practical Catalan political nationalism. In 1892, the Unión approved the Bases per a la Constitució Regional Catalana, better known as the Bases Manresas, a regional constitution inspired by similar earlier medieval and modern Catalan counterparts, and one which promoted Catalan autonomy, short of actual separatism – a conflict which the Unión struggled to resolve in a series of annual assemblies meeting throughout the rest of the nineteenth century. Between 1901 and 1904, the crisis came to a head. Union advocates of the Bases refused to participate in politics or stand for election, while the more nationalistic leaders allied themselves with the conservative Lliga de Catalunya as their political voice, and devoted themselves to encouraging Catalan nationalistic celebrations. As a result of this continuing struggle between these two groups, the Unión became increasingly marginalized as a political entity, eventually being disbanded at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
In 1900, at the height of its power, the Unión struck a series of coins in gold, silver, and bronze. Although they do not list specific denominations on them, the coins were struck on the same weight standard as Spanish issues, in order to circulate outside of Catalunya within Spain itself, as well as Spanish-speaking territories. All denominations are of a single type: St. George (Catalan Sant Jordi) – the patron saint of Catalunya – on the obverse and the arms of Catalunya on the reverse. The Latin legend, VINDICAMUS HÆREDITATEM PATRUM NOSTRORUM (We claim the inheritance of our fathers), underscores the nationalistic intent of these coins – to promote Catalan nationalist aspirations under the leadership of the Unión Catalanista.