Alfonso VIII was thirteen years old when he finally wrested control of Castile from the competing regencies of the Lara and Castro factions — a decade-long power struggle that had left the kingdom's coinage fragmented and inconsistently issued. This dinero belongs to the very first years of his personal rule, before his long reign reshaped Iberian politics through the catastrophe at Alarcos and the triumph at Las Navas de Tolosa.
The billon content of these early issues reflects a treasury still recovering from the instability of the minority years. Specimens show considerable variation in fabric and alloy consistency across the type.
Alfonso VIII was thirteen years old when he finally wrested control of Castile from the competing regencies of the Lara and Castro factions — a decade-long power struggle that had left the kingdom's coinage fragmented and inconsistently issued. This dinero belongs to the very first years of his personal rule, before his long reign reshaped Iberian politics through the catastrophe at Alarcos and the triumph at Las Navas de Tolosa.
The billon content of these early issues reflects a treasury still recovering from the instability of the minority years. Specimens show considerable variation in fabric and alloy consistency across the type.