Catalog
2 Reales - Carlos II
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México |
|---|---|
| Year | 1668-1699 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central crowned quartered shield displaying the castles of Castile and lions of León, characteristic of the Spanish colonial macuquina (cob) coinage style. The shield is struck on an irregularly shaped planchet typical of hand-struck cob coinage, with the surfaces showing the uneven flatness inherent to this production method. Partial circular legend surrounds the arms, though legibility is limited by the cob format. The mintmark and assayer's initial appear in the field adjacent to the shield. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | CAROLVS II DEI G (Translation: Carlos 2nd by the grace of God) |
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| Additional information |
Carlos II reigned for 35 years despite being so physically and cognitively impaired by Habsburg inbreeding that contemporaries doubted he could govern at all — power effectively rested with a succession of regents and court factions. The Mexico City mint operated continuously through his reign, producing cob coinage ("macuquinas") in this denomination as the primary circulating silver of the Spanish colonial economy, moving through trade networks stretching from Manila to Seville.
The assayer's initial on these pieces changed several times across the three-decade span, offering the primary tool for narrowing a specific example's date of issue within the reign.