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1/2 Real - Carlos I
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México |
|---|---|
| Year | 1536-1555 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | MB#6 |
| Obverse description | Central monogram composed of interlinked letters 'P' and 'S' (for Plus Ultra), crowned and flanked by the pillars of Hercules, all within a wreath border. The partial legend PLVS HISPANIARVM runs around the periphery in Latin characters, referencing the Spanish Crown's dominion beyond the known world. The design is characteristic of the early Mexican cob-style hammered coinage struck under Carlos I. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | P LV S HISPANIARUM |
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| Additional information |
These are among the earliest coins struck in the Western Hemisphere, produced at the Mexico City mint which received its royal charter in 1535 — the first mint established in the Americas. Carlos I is better known to history as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and the coins bearing his name were being struck in New Spain before most of Europe had any reliable supply of milled coinage. The cob-style planchets were cut by hand from cast silver bars, which is why no two pieces from this series are dimensionally identical.