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3 Reales - Carlos I
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México |
|---|---|
| Year | 1536-1538 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Two crowned Pillars of Hercules, symbolizing the Strait of Gibraltar, with the assayer's initial R positioned between the columns. Three pellets arranged vertically above the legend indicate the denomination of 3 reales. The PLVS VLTRA motto, referencing the Spanish imperial device, appears on the banderoles encircling the pillars. The legend in Latin runs along the periphery in Gothic script, and the overall composition reflects the standard Pillars-and-Waves type of early Mexico City colonial coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Among the earliest coins struck in the Western Hemisphere, this issue dates to the founding years of the Casa de Moneda de México — the first mint established in the Americas, authorized by a royal decree from Carlos I in 1535. Production began the following year under assayer Francisco del Rincón, whose mark appears on pieces from this period. The 3 reales denomination was itself unusual; it saw limited use in Spanish colonial coinage and was quietly abandoned within a few years, making survivors from this narrow window exceptionally scarce.