Portugal · 60th anniversary of human rights

Issue date18 Sept 2008

Total mintage1,016,261

EU maximum1,035,000

Editions3

Edge lettering5 Wappenschilde + 7 castles, evenly distributed

InscriptionPORTUGAL / 2008 / 60 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS / Esc. J. Duarte INCM

DesignerJoão Duarte

mintImprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda S.A., Lisboa

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin commemorates the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte). The design depicts the Portuguese coat of arms above the inscription “PORTUGAL” and the year “2008”, as well as a geometric representation in the lower half. Along the lower edge is the inscription “60 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS”; the twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring.

The design

The inner part of the coin shows the Portuguese coat of arms in the centre of the upper edge, with the name of the issuing country (“PORTUGAL”) below it and the year “2008” beneath that. The lower half of the inner part of the coin is filled by a geometric design. Along two thirds of the lower edge of the inner part of the coin runs the text “60 ANOS DA DECLARAÇÃO UNIVERSAL DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS”, followed by “Esc. J. Duarte INCM” in very small lettering. The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer ring of the coin.

Background on the topic

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created in response to the experiences of the Second World War, the National Socialist policy of persecution and extermination, and the mass deprivation of people's rights. It was intended to formulate principles that apply to all people, regardless of nationality, origin, sex, religion or political conviction. The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted it in Paris on 10 December 1948.

Representatives of different states and legal traditions were involved in its drafting. The relevant UN Commission on Human Rights was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Other influential participants included the French jurist René Cassin, the Canadian jurist John Peters Humphrey, the Chinese diplomat Peng-chun Chang and the Lebanese philosopher and diplomat Charles Malik. The text was therefore not the work of a single person.

The Declaration comprises 30 articles. In addition to the right to life, liberty and security, it sets out, among other things, the prohibition of slavery and torture, equality before the law, freedom of religion and opinion, as well as political, social and economic rights. These include the rights to work, education and social security. The Declaration is not itself a treaty under international law. However, it became a reference point for subsequent binding human rights agreements, national constitutions and international courts.

For Portugal, the subject also has a domestic political dimension. Following the end of the authoritarian dictatorship through the Carnation Revolution (Nelkenrevolution) of 1974, the protection of fundamental rights became a core element of the democratic order. The Portuguese Constitution of 1976 contains a detailed catalogue of personal, political, economic and social rights.

The milestone anniversary was commemorated worldwide in 2008 by the United Nations and numerous states. The coin issue placed Portugal within this international commemoration and linked a global human rights document with its own democratic development.