Galicia declares six historical coins from the Orol Collection as assets of cultural interest

The Council of the Xunta de Galicia has declared six historical coins of Galicia as assets of cultural interest through Decree 96/2026, of September 28, published in the Official Gazette of Galicia (DOG) no. 192, of October 8, 2026, in its section III. The regulation, proposed by the Ministry of Culture, Language and Youth, grants maximum heritage protection to a numismatic set owned by the Xunta de Galicia and deposited in the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Ourense.

A procedure initiated with seven coins

The Ministry of Culture, Language and Youth agreed to the ex officio initiation of the procedure on June 23, 2025, through a resolution published in DOG no. 119, of June 24, regarding seven historical coins belonging to the so-called Orol Collection. On June 25, 2025, the auction of the collection was held at the house of Jesús Vico, S.L., in Madrid.

On October 9, 2025, the general secretary of Culture of the Ministry of Culture communicated that the coin “1/4 excelente of the Catholic Monarchs, A Coruña mint” had been acquired at the auction through the exercise of the right of first refusal and destined for the National Archaeological Museum. As it was already subject to the protection regime of assets of cultural interest, it remained outside the scope of the decree.

On January 16, 2026, the Order of January 14, 2026 (DOG no. 10) was published, by which the right of first refusal was exercised over the other six coins in favor of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. The file contains three favorable and reasoned reports from advisory institutions, whereas Law 5/2016 requires a minimum of two, and no objections were presented during the public exhibition period.

The six declared pieces

• Suebi Tremissis of Honorius, Gallaecia mint: gold, 1.35 g, 16 mm, very well preserved, rare.
• Suebi Tremissis of Valentinian, Gallaecia mint: gold, 1.35 g, 14.1 mm, graphite X on the reverse, excellent preservation, rare.
• Suebi Tremissis Latina Mvnita series, Gallaecia mint: gold, 1.24 g, 16.1 mm, excellent preservation, very rare and possibly unique, with the legend GALLICA MVNITA PAX.
• Visigothic Tremissis of Wamba, Tui mint: gold, 1.35 g, 20.4 mm, excellent preservation, unique.
• 1/2 excelente de la Granada of the Catholic Monarchs, A Coruña mint: gold, 3.48 g, 21.7 mm, very good preservation, very rare.
• 1/2 real of Philip II, A Coruña mint, 1590: silver, 1.59 g, 18.5 mm, very good preservation, unique.

The decree specifies that the six coins do not form part of a collection and are understood as individual works, of material nature, movable condition, and coin typology. The declaration orders their entry in the Registry of Assets of Cultural Interest of Galicia and the communication to the General Registry of Assets of Cultural Interest of the general State Administration.

Obligations and protection regime

The declaration determines the application of the regime provided for in Titles II and III of Law 5/2016, of May 4, on the cultural heritage of Galicia, and Law 16/1985, of June 25, on Spanish historical heritage regarding export and looting. This implies:

• Prior authorization from the Ministry of Culture, Language and Youth for any intervention on the assets.
• Duty of conservation, maintenance, and custody by the holders of real rights.
• Access for inspection, research, and technical personnel, replaceable by a two-month deposit every five years.
• Public visitation, replaceable by a deposit for exhibition for a maximum of five months every two years.
• Notification to the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of any onerous transfer, including price and conditions, and the possibility of exercising the right of first refusal or retraction.
• Authorization for transfer, indicating origin, destination, temporary or definitive nature, and conditions of conservation, security, and transport.

The Orol Collection and its definitive protection

The collection was gathered by the Galician businessman Antonio Orol Pernas, a native of Ferreira, O Valadouro (Lugo), vice president of the Madrid Numismatic Association and secretary of the Ibero-American Society of Numismatic Studies. His aim was to cover all monetary issues produced in Galicia from the Roman Empire to the present day and for the collection to remain united within a Galician public institution.

The decree emphasizes that the six pieces are rare and unique issues of which no other identical specimens are known and which are not present in any Galician, Spanish, or world museum. Against the regulation, which exhausts the administrative route, an optional appeal for reversal may be filed within one month from the day following publication, or a contentious-administrative appeal within two months before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Galicia. It was signed by president Alfonso Rueda Valenzuela and minister José Carlos López Campos, and is effective from the day following its publication in the DOG.

The declaration places Galician numismatic heritage at the maximum level of legal protection and guarantees the permanence in Galicia of a collection that documents from the Suebi Kingdom to the monarchy of the Habsburgs, with direct interest for collectors, museums, and researchers.

Source: DOG, no. 192, October 8, 2026, section III, p. 51841 (official reference: CVE-DOG: ddqelq60-slp1-1y44-6ab1-rcivtd5ybsv9).