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Meaja - Alfonso VIII castle
| Issuer | Castile, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1158-1214 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Obol (⅙) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central device comprising a stylised triple-towered castle with crenellated battlements, rendered in the bold, schematic style characteristic of Castilian billon coinage of the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The castle occupies most of the field, with three prominent merloned towers rising above a rectangular body pierced by arched doorways. A beaded or rope border encircles the design. The legend CASSTELA runs around the periphery, identifying the Kingdom of Castile. Mintmarks appear to the left and right of the central device. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CASSTELA (Translation: Castile) |
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| Additional information |
Alfonso VIII inherited the Castilian throne at age three in 1158, triggering two decades of noble faction-fighting over his regency — the de Lara and Castro families essentially held the kingdom hostage in turns. The meaja, the smallest denomination in the Castilian hierarchy, was the coin most likely to pass through common hands during those turbulent years, and the billon content of surviving examples varies noticeably, suggesting opportunistic debasement during periods when royal authority over the mints was effectively nominal.