Meaja - Alfonso VIII knight

Alfonso VIII came to the Castilian throne as a child of three in 1158, triggering a ruinous regency struggle between the Lara and Castro noble factions that left royal coinage production erratic and contested for years. The meaja — half a dinero — occupied the lowest practical denomination in circulation, worn thin through the hands of markets and toll-roads rather than treasury hoards. The billon content in these small fractions varied considerably even within a single issue, reflecting the chronic silver shortages that plagued Castilian mints during the minority reign.