Well, this is less a memory of Madrid than it is a memory of Spain in general. Today was both a sad day for this country and a positive day for the European Union. The last 100 peseta coins were "acu�ados" (coined) today here in Madrid by the Spanish government and from here on in only Euros will be produced. So with the death of the peseta, the Euro is born as is a single currency for the 15 components of what is to be the country of "Europe". While I am looking forward to seeign what happens with the new monitary unit, at the same time I can't help but to feel sad for the 132 year old "peseta". Times they are a changin'.
Saludos to all,
jer...

That is too bad! One of my most prized souviners I brought back from spain is a single-peseta coin, no bigger than a shirt button. I got it at a bank my first day there, when I exchanged some dollars. I made sure to keep it safe the rest of the trip. Now, I'm sure it will increase in value, maybe to two or three pesetas someday!

You said it buddy, in like a thousand years that coin will be worth twice as much My first time in Spain I remember I was big on coin collecting, wanted to get one of each until I realized the huge amount of different coins they have here. For example, each autonomous community (17 differnt face designs on the coins) has it's own 25 peseta coin plus there are a few national ones. My best find was a 2 peseta coin, much bigger than the 1 peseta one and pretty hard to find. Those 1 peseta coins are like nothing at all, wiegh less than air. I am surprised that you did not lose it. One curious thing about Spain (at least in Madrid anyway) is that the 1 peseta coin is hardly used in the "real world", that is, if you buy something that costs 136 pesetas, they only expect 135 and on the other side of the coin (no pun intended ), if something costs 138 or 139 pesetas, you are expected to pay 140 and not get the 1 or 2 1 peseta coins back. When the Euro arrives however that will all end because the new system uses Euro Cents (like the old Spanish centimos). It is going to be quite and adventure.
jer...

I remember one of our first trips to Spain and marvelled at the 25pts coin with a hole in the middle. All the British kids took one home to put on a chain around their necks and it became a craze for a while. We still have a few now and maybe this will turn into a revival as the pesata goes out of circulation. I for one will miss the pesata.

My wife will miss the 25 pta coin. She always kept two or three of them on a chain, around her neck. The perfect denomination for the "facilities" everywhere.

I suppose she'll have to drill holes in the euros to make them work.

JP

Hi Savage and all, jer here. Ok, one of 2 things, either I have too much free time on my hands or I am way too in love with Spain. I opt for the second of the two. These posts about the 25 peseta coins hanging around necks have inspried me and I have removed my necklace for the first time in years in order to scan it and bring it to you all. I hardly ever take it off and have worn it since the first time I was in Spain back in 1995. The bigger coin is 25 centimos from 1937 (during the Spanish Civil War) and the small 50 centimos from 1949. Click here to see the coins !.

100 centimos used to make 1 peseta and now we are going to have Euro cents and 100 will make a Euro. Euro consciousness campaigns here are even comparing the Euro to the days of centimos to make it easier on the older Spaniards to get used to the new monitary unit.

�Viva la peseta!
jer...

Well everyone, I guess the day had to arrive and we were all in a bit of denial but having the real thing in your hands is strange.

I was just out this morning and I went into a bank and got some of the first real euro coins available. As you all may know, we can buy bags of sets of euro coins as of this past Friday. They are bieng sold to get people used to touching the stuff

As usual, I have included a photo in the link below, I even time stamped the photo so we know it is before Jan. 1, 2002

* CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO OF SOME OF THE FIRST REAL EUROS

* CLICK HERE FOR THE JEREMY'S FIRST EUROS VIDEO (800KB high quality .MPEG video clip)

I must admit, it was super W.E.I.R.D. touching the new coins for the very first time today. It was pretty neat but I already miss the peseta

On a side note, they were brand spanking new and after only a few minutes of handling them, they began to tarnish bigtime. Just goes to show that "no es oro todo lo que reluce" ("all that glitters is not gold").

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. You can learn more about the euro and money in Spain on my Spain money matters page at www.multimadrid.com/practical_info/spain_money.htm

Well, it has arrived, Jan. 1st 2002 and I just got my first euro notes from a cash machine here in Madrid.

As usual, I documented the whole thing :

* * CLICK HERE FOR THE PHOTO

* * CLICK HERE FOR THE AWESOME EURO ATM VIDEO (800KB high quality .MPEG video clip)

... and my first Euro purchase was a Coke at "El Museo del Jam�n" on Calle Mayor...

CLICK HERE FOR THE PHOTO

Funny, after bragging abotu how easy the conversion is, the waiter gave em the wrong change (6 eurocents toomany). When I called his attention to it all the other waiters gathered at the cashier to see why he had made a mistake. I felt like a circus act You can seet the error he made by looking at the bill and the change of the 10 euro note I paid with in THIS PHOTO

Saludos,
jer...

Ah, you have come through again with useful and timely info, all with photos! Great! In the meantime, I STILL have 6000 pesetas which I can't spend. What's that in Euros?
If I take them to a bank here, do you suppose they'll give me dollars? If I send them to a certain expat buddy of mine who lives right on the Plaza Mayor, will he buy himself a nice present or save the equivalent in euros to treat me to una copa in September? Decisions, decisions.
Mucha felicidad en el a�o 2002.

Hi Sue, �feliz a�o nuevo! amiga

Yeah, thought it would be cool to get that video and the photos out on Jan. 1st. Just a pioneer in my fiels I guess

Well, you could do any of the above with those left over "pelas" ("pesetas") of yours. If you did send them over here to your Plaza Mayor friend he would certainly invite you to a "men� del d�a" in September and even give you the change back in Euros to boot

Another option is to bring them with you in September and, even though you will not be able to spend them here, change them over to Euros at the Banco de Espa�a. As mentioned on my "Money Matters" page at www.multimadrid.com/practical_info/spain_money.htm , you can change them at any bank until the end of June 2002 and after that they will only accept them at El Banco de Espa�a" (more than 50 offices around Spain).

Are you really coming in Sept. 2002?

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. every 1,000 pesetas is 6.02 Euros so 6,000 pesetas would be.... 36.06 Euros

hi all

so the day has finally come and gone . Adios a la Pesetita. I woder what it will be like coming to Espa�a and not finding la peseta waiting for us. I think this is truly sad, it may be convenient etc bla bla but i find it so sad.]
jer thanks for the pic as always

love to all and feliz a�o nuevo 2002. chiara

HOLa!

Hey Jer, maybe you should make a fairwell video of all the pesetas so that we have them to remember!!!!! WHAAAGH!!!!!

tracy

Thanks Chiara, and a very feliz a�o to you too!

Not a bad idea Tracy but unfortunately I only have peseta coins and a few notes since I paid some bills and rent today with the last of my "pelas" .

I do however have a "tribute to the peseta" at www.multimadrid.com/practical_info/spain_money.htm (special notice to the funky South Park type animated FLASH banner at page top ) complete with history and even a downloadable pdf file with the peseta coins and bills (compliments of "La Casa de La Moneda"). It took me a while to get that file and I was surprised at the lack of images of the peseta on the web . Everythign was Euros, Euros and more Euros.

In the end I had to go to the Banco de Espa�a in Cibeles and ask for help from the press department, they are the ones who gave me the pdf file.

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. on a side note, I was curious as to see what the first "real" Euro spending day (yesterday was a holiday and most stores were closed) would be like but got the answer the hard way. I had to wait on line at my bank for an hour to pay my rent

Everything will be slower at first but hopefully sooner or later we will get used to it all

I just wanted to point out the service that travelocity offers, called My Travel Wallet where you can purchase all types of currency (yes, the Euro) for when you go on trips. The rates are 210 Euros for $200 USD. There is a $200 USD minimum, and they only accept orders from the US right now. But I figured it may be useful to those americans who will be traveling to other countries.

Right now there is free shipping on orders over $500, $8 shipping charge on all other orders.

My Travel Wallet

Ben
pbchamp@intercom.net

Hey Ben, cool! Now how come I did not come up with that idea

Saludos,
jer...