| Description : In 1419, with the approval of the two Princes of Andorra ‐
Francesc de Tovia, 1415‐1436 Bishop of Urgell, and John I, 1412‐1436 Count of Foix ‐ the "Consell
de la Terra" (Council of the Earth) was created, a type of a parliament and the most important representative body of
Andorra. It was the forerunner of the present Consell General de les Valls (General Council of the Valleys) gathered to the
council were the heads of the most important Andorran families. At present the General Council consists of 28 board
members, half of whom are elected via parish lists. The coin, designed by the Italian designer Orietta Rossi, shows
the upper arched stones of the portal of the Casa de la Vall in Andorra la Vella, bearing the name "ANDORRA", above which
is the coat of arms of Andorra, flanked by seventeen faces in profile. Above is the Andorrian Latin motto, "VIRTVS VNITA
FORTIOR" (Virtus unita fortior, united virtue is stronger). The coat of arms shows the mitre and crosier of the Bishop of
Urgell, Prince of Andorra, the three stakes of the coat of arms of Foix and the four of Catalonia respectively, together
with the two cows of the Counts of Béarn. Above it, can be seen the lower part of a window of the Casa de la Vall.
At the top there is a semi‐circle with the words "600 ANYS DEL CONSELL DE LA TERRA" (600th anniversay of the Council
of the Earth) and at the bottom of the coin the anniversary number of years 600, represented as "6(1419/2019)0". Andorran
coins are minted alternately in the countries of the Princes of Andorra; in 2019 it was the turn of the Monnaie de Paris
in Pessac. |
