Sovereign 'Lion d'Or' - Charles II Type I, date obverse

Charles II of Spain was three years old when he inherited the Spanish Netherlands, and the officials governing Brabant on his behalf continued striking gold sovereigns in his name for nearly three decades — long after it became apparent he would never meaningfully rule anything. The Lion d'Or type persisted through the Nine Years' War and successive French incursions into the Low Countries, with output from the Antwerp mint increasingly interrupted by Louis XIV's campaigns in the region.

The multiple Delmonte references listed reflect genuine cataloging ambiguity between die varieties, particularly in the placement of the date on the obverse — the distinguishing feature of this specific type designation.