Charles I of Spain — the same Charles V who presided over the Habsburg empire at its greatest extent — maintained Catalonia's traditional coinage largely intact as a political concession. The Principality retained its own minting rights and monetary identity throughout his reign, a pragmatic accommodation to Catalan fueros that his successors would find increasingly difficult to honor. The denier continued in this billon format, its silver content already degraded well below medieval norms by the early sixteenth century.
Charles I of Spain — the same Charles V who presided over the Habsburg empire at its greatest extent — maintained Catalonia's traditional coinage largely intact as a political concession. The Principality retained its own minting rights and monetary identity throughout his reign, a pragmatic accommodation to Catalan fueros that his successors would find increasingly difficult to honor. The denier continued in this billon format, its silver content already degraded well below medieval norms by the early sixteenth century.