This Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Portugal officially released its second commemorative €2 coin of the year, honoring the 70th anniversary of the renowned Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Established in 1956 through the will of philanthropist Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, the institution has earned worldwide acclaim for its contributions to the arts, charity, science, and education.
The national side design was created by Pedro Carvalho, one of the in-house designers at Portugal's state mint, INCM (Casa da Moeda). At the heart of the coin is a quadriga – an ancient two-wheeled chariot drawn by four horses – forging a direct visual link to the founder's own art collection. The image evokes the famous Syracuse decadrachm, a masterpiece of ancient coinage once part of Gulbenkian's private collection and now used as the Foundation's emblem. The four horses symbolically represent the Foundation's four core pillars: art, charity, science, and education. Framing the design is the inscription "FUNDAÇÃO CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN" along the upper rim, the four guiding principles "ARTE • BENEFICÊNCIA • CIÊNCIA • EDUCAÇÃO," and the anniversary years "1956 – 2026." Along the lower rim appear the issuing country "PORTUGAL" alongside the national coat of arms, the mint mark "CASA DA MOEDA," and the designer's name "PEDRO CARVALHO." As usual, the coin's outer ring features the twelve stars of the European flag.
Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (1869–1955) was a British-Armenian oil magnate, businessman, and one of the most significant art collectors of the 20th century. Born in Ottoman Constantinople, present-day Istanbul, he spent his final years in Lisbon after a globe-spanning career. In accordance with his will, the Foundation bearing his name was established in 1956, endowed with his vast fortune and exceptional private art collection. Today, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation ranks among the wealthiest and most influential institutions in the world, operating a world-renowned art museum and its own orchestra in the Portuguese capital while continuing to fund projects in art, education, science, and social welfare.
For collectors, this release is shaping up to be a particularly exciting one: the total mintage of just 124,000 pieces is remarkably low compared to previous Portuguese €2 coins. Only 100,000 pieces will be struck in standard circulation quality, available starting today through Banco de Portugal and participating banks. INCM is also releasing the coin in Proof quality with a mintage of 8,000 pieces. Adding a numismatic first for Portugal, a Reverse Proof version limited to just 5,000 pieces will also be issued. Rounding out the release is a Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) version with a mintage of 11,000 pieces, with the exact sales date to be announced separately by INCM shortly.
Source: Imprensa Nacional – Casa da Moeda (INCM)