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1/2 Blanca - Jean de Bethencourt countermark.
| Issuer | Canary Islands (Spanish States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1402-1406 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Reverse lettering | ENRICVS DEI GRACIA (Translation: Henry III by the grace of God) |
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| Mint | (S) Royal Mint of Seville (Real Casa de la Moneda de Sevilla), Spain (?-1868) |
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| Additional information |
Jean de Bethencourt, a Norman lord who conquered the Canary Islands under Castilian suzerainty beginning in 1402, authorized countermarking existing billon coinage to facilitate trade on islands that had essentially no monetary economy prior to European contact. The countermark on these pieces represents one of the earliest instances of European currency being adapted for use in Atlantic colonial administration — well before Spain formalized its imperial monetary apparatus.
The underlying host coins are typically Castilian blancas of Henry III, already debased before countermarking.