1/2 Real - Isabel II

These copper fractional pieces were struck under Isabel II during one of the most turbulent stretches of nineteenth-century Spanish politics — the queen had already survived two Carlist Wars and a succession of short-lived governments by the time production began. The 1848 date is particularly charged: revolutionary upheaval across Europe that year prompted the Madrid government to accelerate currency reforms, partly to demonstrate institutional stability it did not actually possess.

Cal#570 collectors should note that die alignment inconsistencies are documented across this run, a known consequence of the Casa de Moneda de Segovia operating with aging equipment well past its reliable service life.