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Dinero 'negro' - Alfonso X
| Issuer | Castile and Leon, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1258-1264 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dinero (1087-1350) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | + ALF `: REX CASTLE (Translation: Alfonso X : King of Castile) |
| Reverse description | Central field features a passant lion to the left, the heraldic emblem of the Kingdom of León, rendered in a schematic Gothic style characteristic of mid-13th-century Castilian-Leonese billon coinage. The lion is shown with its forepaw raised and tail curled, set within a beaded inner circle, with small pellets scattered in the field around it. The circumferential legend reads + ET : LEGIONIS, completing the royal title begun on the obverse and identifying Alfonso X as King of León. The overall design reflects the standard bimetallic heraldic type established for the dineros negros of Alfonso X. |
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| Additional information |
Alfonso X's monetary reform of 1258 introduced these low-grade billon pieces as part of a deliberate crown policy to retire the older, heavier dineros and replace them with a coinage whose intrinsic value sat well below its face value — an early and relatively crude attempt at fiduciary currency. The high copper content darkens these coins noticeably on the surface, which is where the popular "negro" designation originates. Alfonso's broader monetary ambitions repeatedly outpaced his administration's ability to enforce them, generating chronic hoarding of better silver and a flood of complaints from merchants throughout Castile.