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Obol - James I Barcelona
| Issuer | Catalonia, Principality of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1213-1276 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Billon (.167 silver) |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | :IACOB REX (Translation: James king) |
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| Additional information |
Jaume I — "El Conqueridor" — ruled longer than almost any medieval Iberian monarch, and his coinage reflects the administrative pressure of a reign that absorbed Majorca in 1229 and Valencia in 1238. The Barcelona mint struck enormous quantities of small billon to supply newly conquered territories with a common transactional currency, which is why surviving obols are typically well-worn; they worked hard in active Mediterranean commerce.
The .167 fineness was fixed deliberately low — enough silver to retain credibility, cheap enough to mint in volume.