Ferdinand II issued deniers under the Santiago (Saint James) type during a period when Leonese royal coinage was deeply entangled with the pilgrimage economy of Compostela. The association between the crown and the cult of Saint James was not merely devotional — it was a deliberate assertion of royal authority over one of the wealthiest ecclesiastical centers in Iberia, at a time when Fernando was actively contesting influence with the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela.
The billon content of Leonese deniers from this reign varied notoriously between issues, a problem documented in contemporary complaints about debased currency circulating alongside older, heavier pieces.
Ferdinand II issued deniers under the Santiago (Saint James) type during a period when Leonese royal coinage was deeply entangled with the pilgrimage economy of Compostela. The association between the crown and the cult of Saint James was not merely devotional — it was a deliberate assertion of royal authority over one of the wealthiest ecclesiastical centers in Iberia, at a time when Fernando was actively contesting influence with the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela.
The billon content of Leonese deniers from this reign varied notoriously between issues, a problem documented in contemporary complaints about debased currency circulating alongside older, heavier pieces.