Denier - Louis XIII Bust of Philip IV

Vic's municipal coinage of 1643 sits in one of the more chaotic episodes of Catalan monetary history. The Reapers' War — the revolt of Catalonia against Castile that began in 1640 — had driven the principality to align itself with France, placing it under the nominal sovereignty of Louis XIII. Municipal mints scrambled to produce coinage that acknowledged the new overlord while everyday commerce demanded copper small change regardless of which crown claimed authority.

The retention of Philip IV's bust under a Louis XIII title is not an error — it reflects the practical reality of dies already cut and copper already alloyed, with political allegiances shifting faster than mint infrastructure could follow.