500 Years of the Treaty of Burgos with Charles V

Portrait of King Charles V, with the issuing state “MONACO” above, the dates “1524” and “2024” to the left and right, and the commemorative inscription “TRAITÉ AVEC CHARLES QUINT” along the lower rim. The mint marks of the Monnaie de Paris and of Master Engraver Joaquin Jimenez are placed at the lower edge of the portrait.

The Treaty of Burgos was concluded on 7 June 1524 and marks a milestone in Monegasque sovereignty. Augustin Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco after the murder of his brother Lucien in 1523, turned to Charles V – at once King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor – and placed Monaco under his protection. The emperor thereby recognised the principality's independence; the agreement was ratified on 15 November 1524 in Tordesillas.

With the treaty, Monaco freed itself from French influence and secured its independence under Spanish protection. This alignment lasted until 1641, when Prince Honoré II sought France's protection with the Treaty of Péronne. The Treaty of Burgos still ranks today among the founding documents of Monegasque statehood; its 500th anniversary is honoured by the 2024 €2 commemorative coin.