Catalog
1 Real - Fernando VII Royalist coinage
| Issuer | Caracas Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1817-1821 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.38 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the quartered royal arms of Castile and León within a polylobe cartouche, divided by a bold cross pattée. The upper-left and lower-right quarters show the castle of Castile, while the upper-right and lower-left quarters depict the rampant lion of León. The denomination numeral '1' appears at the top and bottom of the cross, flanking the shield vertically, while the initial 'F' for Fernando appears to the left and '7' for the regnal number VII appears to the right of the shield. Decorative pellet ornaments are placed at the cardinal points surrounding the shield. The design is enclosed within a beaded inner border with a reeded edge. |
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| Mint | Caracas Mint |
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| Additional information |
The Caracas royalist coinage was a direct response to the monetary chaos of the independence wars. With patriot forces disrupting normal trade and the established monetary system collapsing across the region, royalist authorities in Venezuela struck these pieces to maintain economic function in territory they still controlled. The silver fineness was deliberately reduced from colonial standards — a pragmatic acknowledgment that bullion supplies were constrained and the war expensive.
By 1821, Carabobo had settled the question of Venezuelan independence. These coins outlived the cause that created them.