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4 Reales - Fernando VII
| Issuer | Mexico City Mint (Viceroyalty of New Spain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1809-1812 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 13.54 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Crowned Royal Arms of Spain at center, featuring the quartered shield with the castles of Castile and lions of León, with the Granada pomegranate in base and the Bourbon fleur-de-lis overall. The shield is flanked by the Pillars of Hercules, each topped with a crown and wound with a banner. The mint mark, denomination (4R), and assayer initials appear to the left of the pillars, while the encircling legend HISPAN. ET IND. REX. with the mint and assayer marks runs around the periphery, all within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse lettering | HISPAN. ET IND. REX. M. 4R. H. J. |
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| Additional information |
These years bracket a constitutional crisis that shook the entire Spanish colonial system. Napoleon's forced abdication of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII in 1808 left colonial mints in an ideological vacuum — coins had to be struck in the name of a captive king whose legitimacy was actively contested, while juntas on both sides of the Atlantic argued over who actually held sovereignty. The Mexico City Mint continued production under viceregal authority largely to assert continuity and prevent monetary panic in a colony already showing early signs of independence agitation.
The Hidalgo revolt began in September 1810, directly within this date range. Insurgent forces never captured the capital mint, but supply disruptions to silver shipments from northern mining regions affected production in ways that show up in die quality across the period.