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1 Gold Real - Philip II
| Issuer | Tournai, Lordship of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1590-1600 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 5.33 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | PHS · D : G · HISP · Z · REX · D · TORNA · (Translation: Philip, by God`s grace King of Spain, Lord of Tournai) |
| Reverse description | The quartered royal arms of Philip II, comprising the heraldic devices of Castile, León, Aragon, Portugal, and Granada, surmounted by a royal crown and enclosed within a shield of elaborate form. The shield is encircled by the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, with the pendant fleece visible at the base, rendered in fine detail characteristic of hammered gold coinage. The entire composition is surrounded by a circular Latin legend reading DOMINVS · MIHI · ADIVTOR, a devotional motto affirming the Lord as the sovereign's helper. The overall design is bold and heraldically precise, filling the flan to the edges. |
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| Additional information |
Tournai's status as a minting authority during this period was anything but stable. The city changed hands repeatedly during the Eighty Years' War, and coinage struck under Philip II's authority there reflects a brief window when Spanish Habsburg administration held firm enough to authorize local gold production. By the 1590s, Tournai was essentially a fortified outpost in contested Flanders, and the economics of striking gold locally — rather than importing coin from Antwerp or the southern mints — speak to real logistical pressure.
Delmonte's G#434b distinguishes this piece from the more common 434a by a minor variation in the mint mark or legend punctuation.