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4 Escudos - Felipe II OMNIVM
| Issuer | Spanish Monarchy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1589-1597 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM# 200 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central design features a large Jerusalem cross with floriated terminals set within a quadrilobe or quatrefoil formed by four interlocking arcs, a characteristic motif of Spanish gold escudo coinage of this period. Small decorative rosette or star ornaments appear in the angles between the arcs and at the extremities of the cross. A beaded inner border frames the central device, with the partial circumferential legend HISPAN · REGNORVM · REX · 1597 — identifying Philip II as King of the Spanish Kingdoms — running in the outer field, partially clipped by the irregular hammered flan. The reverse die is boldly struck, with the cross and quatrefoil design well centered despite the characteristic planchet irregularities of the cob-style production. |
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| Additional information |
Felipe II's cob coinage from the Seville mint in this period was produced under the assayer Francisco del Molino, whose "F" mark appears on properly attributed examples. These macuquinas were struck by hammer on irregular planchets cut from rolled gold bars — no two are truly alike in shape — which created chronic headaches for colonial merchants trying to verify weight in transactions. Short-weight pieces were routinely clipped further, compounding the problem.
The OMNIVM designation derives from Felipe's full titulature claiming dominion over the Indies, distinguishing this emission from contemporaneous issues. Seville received the refined gold from American mints before striking it into these high-denomination pieces for European trade circuits.