Description:
This rare Spanish gold four escudos was minted in Seville, Spain during the rule of King Philip III. The obverse side of this coin features a Jerusalem cross with crowns in the quarters all within a quatrefoil. The reverse shows the Philip III crowned coat of arms with Seville "S" and assayer "B" mintmarks.
From the House of Habsburg, Philip III ruled during the "Golden Age of Spain" with territories and colonies in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceana. With the discovery of untold riches that were mined in the Americas, the Spanish and their mighty galleon fleets became 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, during this adventurous age, it was inevitable that large amounts of Spanish treasure would be lost on land and at sea due to pirates, storms and other unforeseen misfortunes.
Spanish gold coinage of this historical period was decreed by the King to be 22 karats and were hand struck from dies and cut to weight, making each coin a one-of-a-kind piece of history. Minted in five denominations, the largest was the eight escudos, followed by the four escudos and then the two escudos, which was famous in the colonies and among pirates as a "doubloon.” A common working man at this time would have to work eight months to earn a single four escudos gold coin.
