Description:
This Spanish copper coin was minted in Segovia, Spain during the rule of King Philip III. The obverse side features a rampant lion along with the 1619 date and partial legend of HISPANIARVM REX "King of Spain.” The reverse shows a crowned castle with the partial legend of PHILIP PVS III D G "Philip III, by the grace of God" and the VIII for eight maravedis.
From the House of Habsburg, Philip ruled during the "Golden Age of Spain", with territories and colonies in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceana. Under the Spanish Habsburgs rule in the 16th & 17th centuries, Spain reached the peak of its political and economic strength when its Empire became the foremost global power.
With the discovery of untold riches that were mined in the Americas, the Spanish and their mighty galleon fleets were the premier supplier of gold and silver coins for the world. This vastly increased the shipping trade and made many merchants wealthy, both in Spain and in the colonies. However, even the smallest silver one real coins were too large for most common transactions such as buying food or clothing. So the Spanish minted the copper maravedi in denominations of 8, 4, 2, and 1, which were valued at 34 maravedis equal to one silver real. A typical sailor was paid around 1,000 maravedis per month. This Spanish coin circulated during the 17th century and is a one-of-a-kind surviving treasure from this this adventurous age.
