Catalog
8 Reales - Carlos II
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México |
|---|---|
| Year | 1674-1700 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central design features a bold cross patée within a quadrilobe (quatre-foil) decorative border, dividing the field into four quarters each containing alternating castles and lions, emblems of the kingdoms of Castile and León respectively, each quarter surmounted by a small crown. The monumental cross, characteristic of the macuquina coinage style, dominates the composition. The surrounding circular legend HISPANIARVM ET INDIARVM REX is rendered in Roman capitals separated by pellet stops, enclosed within a beaded border. The assayer initial L appears in the lower field. |
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| Additional information |
Carlos II ruled for 35 years despite being so physically and cognitively impaired by inbreeding that contemporaries doubted his ability to govern at all — his reign was effectively administered by a succession of regents and court factions. The Mexico City mint continued striking cob-style macuquina coinage throughout, a production method already two centuries old and poorly suited to detecting counterfeiting or clipping.
The 1674–1700 date range spans the period before the forced transition to milled coinage, which Madrid would not mandate for colonial mints until 1728. These pieces circulated across the Pacific trade routes into Manila and on through Asia, where Spanish silver was accepted by weight rather than face value.