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1/2 Minuto - Carlo V Alghero mint
| Issuer | Sardinia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1516-1556 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Minuto (1⁄1200) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CAROLVS IMPERAT (Translation: CHARLES EMPEROR) |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays a central heraldic device, partially visible despite heavy wear, associated with the civic arms of Alghero. Traces of a shield or armorial emblem can be discerned in the lower central field, consistent with the known type for this denomination. The surrounding Latin legend CIVITATIS ALGERI (City of Alghero) is only partially legible owing to the irregular flan and heavy surface corrosion typical of base-metal coinage struck at the Alghero mint during the reign of Charles V. The overall execution reflects the crude, hand-hammered production methods standard for Sardinian copper minuti of this period. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Carlo V inherited Sardinia as part of the Aragonese crown through his maternal grandfather Ferdinand II, making the island one of the earliest territories folded into what would become the vast Habsburg dominion. The Alghero mint — a Catalan-speaking enclave on Sardinia's northwest coast — operated under strict Aragonese monetary tradition long after the political center of gravity had shifted to Castile. These fractional copper pieces were the smallest denomination in everyday use, handling transactions that silver simply couldn't reach.
The Alghero facility was among the last active mints on the island before consolidation reduced Sardinian coinage production significantly in the later sixteenth century.