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2 Escudos - Felipe II
| Issuer | Casa de la Moneda (Royal Mint of Spain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1556-1598 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Escudos (32) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by the quartered royal arms of Castile and León, displaying alternating castles and lions within a bordered shield surmounted by a royal crown. The mint mark and assayer's initial appear to the left of the shield. A partial Latin legend runs along the irregular outer border of this hammered cob-style planchet, though it is largely off-flan due to the striking technique. The design is rendered in the bold, high-relief style characteristic of mid-16th century Spanish hammered gold coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | PHILIPPVS II DEI GRATIA |
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| Additional information |
Felipe II inherited the Spanish throne in 1556 at the precise moment Castilian gold output from American mines was reaching its first sustained peak. The escudo denomination — introduced by his father Carlos I in 1537 as a direct response to the French écu and Italian ducato dominating European trade — became under Felipe the primary instrument of Habsburg war finance, funding the Italian campaigns, the suppression of the Dutch revolt, and the construction of the Armada.
Pieces struck across Felipe's long reign circulated from Manila to Antwerp. Cal#30 encompasses multiple assayer-marked varieties, and attribution to a specific mint without an assayer letter present is not straightforward.