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4 Maravedis - Philip II Pattern
| Issuer | Spanish Monarchy |
|---|---|
| Year | 1586-1598 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 4 Maravedis (2⁄17) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field displays a radiate sun motif with numerous rays emanating from a small central boss, occupying the majority of the reverse field and characteristic of the experimental roller-milled coinage produced at the Real Ingenio de Segovia. A finely beaded inner border encircles the solar device, beyond which the peripheral Latin legend * HISPANIARVM REX runs along a beaded outer border. The overall design reflects the reform coinage aesthetic introduced under Philip II at the Segovia water-powered mill. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Philip II's late-reign copper and billon coinage was plagued by counterfeiting so endemic that the crown spent the better part of two decades debating whether to abandon the maravedí system entirely. This piece dates to the period when royal minters were experimenting with composition and weight standards in direct response to that crisis — the billon content here is negligible, essentially a copper coin with a technical silver classification.
The "pattern" attribution suggests this never reached ordinary circulation, likely a mint trial submitted for royal approval during the monetary reform discussions of the 1580s and 1590s.