1/2 Liard 'Gigot' - Philip II Maastricht

Philip II inherited the Spanish Netherlands through his father Charles V in 1555, but by 1580 the northern provinces had effectively broken away as the Union of Utrecht. Brabant remained under Spanish control, yet governing it required maintaining local coinage — the gigot being among the smallest denominations keeping daily commerce functional during a period of near-constant military expenditure and garrison costs. Maastricht itself was besieged and sacked by Parma's forces in 1579, just before this issue's opening date, and the city's mint resuming production shortly after speaks to how quickly economic infrastructure was reasserted.