Description:
This is a genuine 16th century Spanish silver coin that was minted in the colonial South American mint of Potosi, Peru. In 1533, four decades after Columbus landed in the New World, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. Soon after, high in the Andes Mountains at Potosi, the Spanish discovered the richest silver deposits in the world and in 1575, the Potosi mint was opened.
To deliver this massive new-found wealth to the Crown, the Spanish shipped their treasure in fleets of mighty galleons. Over the next two centuries, the Spanish became the premier supplier of silver and gold coins for the world. With these vast riches, it was inevitable that the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1725) in the New World would ensue. Buccaneers from Tortuga and pirates throughout the Caribbean raided ships and settlements in search of treasure.
This coin was minted during the rule of King Philip II. From the House of Habsburg, Philip ruled a Spanish global empire with territories and colonies in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceana. In the 16th & 17th centuries, Spain reached the peak of its political and economic strength when its Empire became the foremost global power. The obverse of this coin features a cross with lions and castles and the reverse shows the Philip II coat of arms. Spanish coins, known as "cobs", that circulated in this epic era were hand struck from dies and cut to weight, making each a one-of-a-kind piece of history.
