Spain: New Silver Proof Coins Mark Centenary Anniversary Of First Radio Broadcast

2024 is a very special year for radio lovers in Spain as the centenary anniversary of the first radio broadcast is celebrated. Over the last 100 years, radio has been with many of us all in one way or another. From the midday or evening news, drama serials, comedy, concerts and informative programmes, terrestrial radio signals and since the start of the twenty first century digital broadcasts have kept their audiences familiar with the voices they grew up with.

It was twenty seven years after Guglielmo Marconi's first transmission between Bristol, England and Penarth, Wales that regular radio transmission was officially born in Spain. On the 14th November at 6:30 pm, station EAJ-1 Radio Barcelona initiated regular broadcasts as the country’s first licensed radio station transmitting to a dedicated audience. Soon after, Radio Barcelona, ​​Radio España, Radio Madrid, Radio Cádiz and Estación Castilla all which had the first ‘EAJ’ station call codes used by radio amateurs gradually gave way to Cadena SER - Sociedad Española de Radiodimisión who had broadcast locally in October that same year. More than a decade later, Radio Nacional de España - RNE was established in 1937, more recently Cadena de Ondas Populares Españolas - COPE in 1979 and Onda Cero in 1990.

Cadena SER, which is Spain’s oldest radio network, is also credited with playing a pivotal role during Spain’s transition to democracy with the end of Franco era and in the lead-up to, and aftermath of the adoption of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 which officially restored the constitutional monarchy. Cadena SER continues to broadcast nationwide, with its main studios located on Gran Vía in Madrid and broadcasting in the country’s four official languages of Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque. The network operates studios across Spain, providing local and regional news and information, with each location producing between 2 and 3.5 hours of programming daily. As of 2021, Cadena SER boasted 4,367,000 daily listeners.

The reverse features an image of a vintage microphone and contemporary headphones symbolising the time difference between Spain’s first broadcast and today’s radio service. The denomination of 10 EURO is placed above microphone and the years 1924 - 2024 are shown above each headphone earpiece. The primary design is surrounded with graphics depicting radio waves. The distinctive mintmark of the Real Casa, a crowned M is placed just to the lower left of the microphone. The obverse features an allegorical image of an early model radio emitting the word ESPANA and musical notes, superimposed over a vertically linear background in the shape of a map of Spain. The commemorative text CENTENARIO DE LA RADIO is placed along the lower right rim.

Available from the 23rd September, each silver proof coin is encapsulated and presented in a custom case accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For additional information for this and other coins available from the Real Casa de la Moneda, please visit their online webshop.