Felipe V briefly abdicated in favor of his son Luis I in 1724, but Luis died of smallpox after just seven months on the throne, forcing Felipe to reclaim the crown — an unprecedented reversal in Spanish royal succession. Seville's Casa de la Moneda, one of the oldest mints in the Hispanic world, was processing enormous quantities of American silver by this period, with the 8 reales functioning as the backbone of Atlantic trade from Manila to Cádiz.
The 1731 Seville issues are distinguished from contemporary Madrid and Mexico City production by their assayer marks, with the "P" assayer active at this mint during this specific run.
Felipe V briefly abdicated in favor of his son Luis I in 1724, but Luis died of smallpox after just seven months on the throne, forcing Felipe to reclaim the crown — an unprecedented reversal in Spanish royal succession. Seville's Casa de la Moneda, one of the oldest mints in the Hispanic world, was processing enormous quantities of American silver by this period, with the 8 reales functioning as the backbone of Atlantic trade from Manila to Cádiz.
The 1731 Seville issues are distinguished from contemporary Madrid and Mexico City production by their assayer marks, with the "P" assayer active at this mint during this specific run.