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4 Reales - Fernando VII
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1808-1821 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Ferdinand VII facing right, rendered in the imaginary portrait convention characteristic of Spanish colonial coinage, wherein the effigy was produced from an idealized template rather than a direct likeness. The hair is bound by an elaborate laurel wreath, and drapery falls gracefully at the truncation. The circumferential legend FERDIN • VII • DEI • GRATIA • arcs around the periphery, interrupted by the bust, with the date appearing in the lower field. The entire design is framed by a fine toothed border. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | FERDIN • VII • DEI • GRATIA • 1815 • (Translation: Fernando VII by the grace of God) |
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| Additional information |
Fernando VII never set foot in the Americas, yet coins struck in his name circulated across Central America for over a decade while he was first held captive by Napoleon at Valençay and later consumed by the absolutist struggles reshaping Spain. The Guatemala mint continued striking in his name throughout — producing coinage for a colonial administration that was itself unraveling, as the independence movement that would end Spanish rule in 1821 gathered force during precisely these years.
The Casa de Moneda de Guatemala was the sole mint serving the Captaincy General, making it responsible for an enormous geographic territory with limited production capacity. Pieces from the later dates in this range were struck as the institution was transitioning to serve an independent state.