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CC 321 2018
Blister pack
BU
Blister pack BU
Portugal · 250 years of Botanischer Garten von Ajuda
Mintage4,523
Issue date25 Jul 2018
PackagingBlister pack
Edge lettering5 Wappenschilde + 7 castles, evenly distributed
Market price€11.90
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Jardim Botânico da Ajuda (“Jardim Botânico da Ajuda”), Portugal’s first botanical garden for the preservation, study and collection of plant biodiversity. The design depicts its landmark, a very old dragon tree, surrounded by the inscriptions “250 ANOS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DA AJUDA” and “PORTUGAL 2018”. Beneath the tree are the artist’s name, “J. FAZENDA”, and the mint mark “INCM”.
The design
The coin’s design features the landmark of the Ajuda Botanical Garden, a very old dragon tree. The Ajuda Botanical Garden belongs to the Institute of Agronomy of the University of Lisbon and serves as infrastructure for educational and research purposes. It is freely accessible and was the first botanical garden in Portugal dedicated to the preservation, study and collection of the greatest possible diversity of plant species. Above the design, the inscription “250 ANOS JARDIM BOTÂNICO DA AJUDA” can be read in a semicircle from left to right. Below the design, “PORTUGAL 2018” appears in a semicircle from left to right. Directly below the dragon tree, the artist’s name “J. FAZENDA” is inscribed on the left and the mint mark “INCM” on the right.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.
Background on the topic
Ajuda Botanical Garden was established in 1768 in the vicinity of the Portuguese royal residence. After the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the court had withdrawn to the higher-lying district of Ajuda. There, a garden was established next to the royal residential complex, initially intended to serve the education of members of the royal family. With its systematically arranged plant collection, it followed the natural-historical ideas of the Enlightenment.
The Italian-born naturalist Domenico Vandelli, who taught botany and natural history in Portugal, was involved in its conception. At that time, botanical gardens were not merely places for observation. They served to identify, classify and propagate plants and to examine their potential medicinal or economic uses. For Portugal, the colonial empire played a role in this regard: plants and seeds arrived in Lissabon from South America, Africa and the Atlantic region, among other places. The garden was thus part of an international network of natural-history collections and exchange relations.
The complex was laid out on two terraces according to Italian design principles. Geometric beds, stairways, balustrades, fountains and sculptures combine botanical order with courtly garden architecture. Over the course of its history, its administration and scientific orientation changed several times. Wars, political upheavals and changes in the royal family also affected its collections and use. Nevertheless, the garden was preserved as a historic complex and a place of botanical teaching.
The dragon tree belongs to the species *Dracaena draco*, which is associated primarily with Macaronesia, particularly the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde. Its distinctive, umbrella-like crown and slow growth make old specimens easy to recognize. The reddish resin was traditionally referred to as “dragon’s blood” and used in various ways.
The anniversary provided an occasion to recall the emergence of institutionalized botany in Portugal and the connection between courtly collecting, the Enlightenment, botany and academic education.
The Italian-born naturalist Domenico Vandelli, who taught botany and natural history in Portugal, was involved in its conception. At that time, botanical gardens were not merely places for observation. They served to identify, classify and propagate plants and to examine their potential medicinal or economic uses. For Portugal, the colonial empire played a role in this regard: plants and seeds arrived in Lissabon from South America, Africa and the Atlantic region, among other places. The garden was thus part of an international network of natural-history collections and exchange relations.
The complex was laid out on two terraces according to Italian design principles. Geometric beds, stairways, balustrades, fountains and sculptures combine botanical order with courtly garden architecture. Over the course of its history, its administration and scientific orientation changed several times. Wars, political upheavals and changes in the royal family also affected its collections and use. Nevertheless, the garden was preserved as a historic complex and a place of botanical teaching.
The dragon tree belongs to the species *Dracaena draco*, which is associated primarily with Macaronesia, particularly the Canary Islands, Madeira and Cape Verde. Its distinctive, umbrella-like crown and slow growth make old specimens easy to recognize. The reddish resin was traditionally referred to as “dragon’s blood” and used in various ways.
The anniversary provided an occasion to recall the emergence of institutionalized botany in Portugal and the connection between courtly collecting, the Enlightenment, botany and academic education.