{"title":"Selection of Charles II (1665-1700), last of the Austrians","description":"\u003cp\u003eCharles II of Spain (Madrid, 1661–1700), known as \"the Bewitched,\" was the last king of the House of Austria or Habsburg in Spain. He reigned from 1665 to 1700, inheriting the throne after the death of his father, Philip IV, when he was only four years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e Charles II was born with serious health problems, probably stemming from his Habsburg consanguinity. He suffered from physical weakness, infertility, and intellectual limitations, which affected his life and reign. His lack of offspring made the issue of succession a central theme in European politics, as his death would mean the end of the dynasty and the beginning of an international conflict over the Spanish throne. A conflict that could be described as the true First World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003eHe was also a victim of the Black Legend, French propaganda, and the machinations of Louis XIV, grandfather of Philip V (the first Bourbon king in Spain). Perhaps one day justice will be done to Charles II, a king far more worthy and dedicated to Spain than we have been told.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eNumismatics in the time of Charles II (1665-1700)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The reign of Charles II, the last monarch of the House of Austria in Spain, was marked by a profound economic and political crisis. However, in the numismatic sphere, it was a period of significant reforms and a wide variety of issues, both on the Iberian Peninsula and in the American and European territories under Spanish rule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e During the reign of Charles II, coins were minted in gold, silver and copper:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eGold:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shield, 2 shields, 4 shields, 8 shields and exceptional pieces such as the centén (100 shields).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSilver:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1\/2 real, 1 real, 2 reales, 4 reales, 8 reales (the famous “real de a ocho” or “Spanish dollar”), as well as divisors and local pieces such as the croat, dieciocheno, patard, filippo, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eCopper (fleece):\u003c\/strong\u003e Ochavo (2 maravedis), cuarto (4 maravedis), 8 maravedis, 12 maravedis, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eMonetary reforms and the “Marías”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e At the end of the reign, a major monetary reform was implemented (the Pragmatic of 1686), which sought to stabilize the system after decades of inflation and devaluation of the billón. Highlights include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSilver Doubling:\u003c\/strong\u003e Old coins (\"old silver\") remained in circulation, while new ones (\"new silver\") were introduced, with different real and face values. The old real of eight became worth 10 reales, while the new one remained worth 8 reales.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“María” coins\u003c\/strong\u003e : The new silver coins, especially the 8 reales minted in Segovia, Seville, and Madrid, featured the Virgin Mary's monogram and the legend “PROTECTIONE VIRTVTE” on the reverse, reflecting the Crown's support for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. These coins are known as “Marías” and are highly prized for their religious iconography and rarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe coins of Charles II were minted in numerous mints:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePeninsula:\u003c\/strong\u003e Madrid, Seville, Segovia (Real Ingenio), La Coruña, Burgos, Granada, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Mallorca, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAmerica:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mexico, Lima, Potosí, Santa Fe de Nuevo Reino, Cartagena, Guatemala, Santiago de Chile, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEurope:\u003c\/strong\u003e Naples, Milan, Sicily, Flanders (Antwerp, Brussels), Sardinia, Sardinia, Sardinia, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eCharacteristics of coins\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e The obverse usually features the coat of arms of the Spanish monarchy and the legend \"CAROLVS II DG HISPANIARUM REX.\" The reverse features the value, the mint mark, and, in the \"Marías,\" the monogram of the Virgin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eFineness and weight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gold maintained a fineness of 22 carats (916.6 thousandths). Silver was reduced in fineness and weight, especially in silver coins, to adjust its intrinsic and extrinsic value.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eErrors and variants:\u003c\/strong\u003e Die errors, assayer variants, and minor differences in the artwork are common, increasing the collector's interest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e The numismatics of Charles II reflects the complex political and economic situation in Spain at the end of the 17th century and constitutes one of the most interesting and varied chapters in Spanish monetary history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"carlos-ii-1665-1700-1-croat-1687-barcelona","title":"CHARLES II (1665-1700). 1 Croat. 1687. Barcelona.","description":"\u003cp\u003eCHARLES II (1665-1700). 1 Croat. 1687. Barcelona.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe croat\u003c\/strong\u003e is a historical Catalan silver coin, created in 1285 by King Peter III the Great of Aragon (Peter I of Valencia and Peter II of Barcelona).  It was known as croat barceloní or xamberg and was one of the longest-lasting and most widely circulated coins in Catalan numismatic history, remaining in use for almost 500 years, until the beginning of the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Silver. Weight: 2.67g\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Diameter: 21mm).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Catalog: (Cal-2019-210), AyC: Type 42. 210\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Conservation status: MBC+.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ibercoin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55364775870850,"sku":null,"price":115.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/files\/carlos-ii-1665-1700-1-croat-1687-barcelona-981.webp?v=1774703270"},{"product_id":"carlos-ii-1665-1700-1-croat-1682-barcelona","title":"CHARLES II (1665-1700). 1 Croat. 1682. Barcelona.","description":"\u003cp\u003eCHARLES II (1665-1700). 1 Croat. 1682. Barcelona.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e The croat is a historical Catalan silver coin, created in 1285 by King Peter III the Great of Aragon (Peter I of Valencia and Peter II of Barcelona).  It was known as croat barceloní or xamberg and was one of the longest-lasting and most widely circulated coins in Catalan numismatic history, remaining in use for almost 500 years, until the beginning of the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Silver. Weight: 1.90g\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Diameter: 21mm. (Cal-2019-209).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e MBC\/MBC-.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ibercoin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55364831314306,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/files\/carlos-ii-1665-1700-1-croat-1682-barcelona-591.webp?v=1774703283"},{"product_id":"carlos-ii-1665-1700-jeton-1685-bruselas","title":"Charles II (1665-1700). Token. 1685. Brussels.","description":"\u003cp\u003eCharles II (1665-1700). Token. 1685. Brussels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e A token was a metallic piece, usually of copper, with a shape similar to a coin but without face value or legal tender as money.  Its main function was to serve as a counting token in calculation and accounting operations, especially before the widespread use of Arabic numerals and modern written calculation methods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Catalog: (Dugn-4505).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Copper 6.04 g.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Finance office.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Pedigree: Ex Ed. V. Gadoury 29 (04\/16\/2021), lot 79.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e MBC\/MBC+.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tauler\u0026Fau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55364905206146,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/files\/carlos-ii-1665-1700-jeton-1685-bruselas-598.webp?v=1774703311"},{"product_id":"patagon-de-carlos-ii-ceca-de-amberes-1672","title":"Patagon of Charles II. Antwerp Mint. 1672","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approximately 40-41.8 mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eMinting technique\u003c\/strong\u003e : Hammered, which results in pieces that are circular but irregular in shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eObverse:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crowned Burgundian cross (St. Andrew's cross), in the center a torch and the jewel of the Golden Fleece; the date is usually divided on both sides of the cross.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eLegend:\u003c\/strong\u003e CAROL II DG HISP ET INDIAR REX (Charles II, by the grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eReverse:\u003c\/strong\u003e Titles of the monarch such as Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, etc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe Patagón of Charles II is a significant coin, both for its historical context and its artistic and technical value. It symbolizes the resistance of the Spanish Netherlands under Hispanic rule and the complex network of alliances and conflicts of the time.  Furthermore, its design incorporates symbols of the Hispanic monarchy and the chivalric orders, such as the Golden Fleece, and is a representative example of hammer-struck coinage in large silver pieces.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Numisbalt","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55366721175938,"sku":null,"price":325.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/files\/patagon-de-carlos-ii-ceca-amberes-1672-803.webp?v=1774703337"},{"product_id":"carlos-ii-1665-1700-tari-1687-napoles-ebc-ebc-au-55-preciosa-patina","title":"CHARLES II (1665-1700). Tari. 1687. Naples. EF\/EF+. AU-55 Beautiful patina.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCHARLES II (1665-1700). Tari. (Ar. 5.67g\/27mm). 1687. Naples AG-A. (Vicenti 171).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eEBC\/EBC+. Beautiful patina.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Encapsulated by NCV as AU55\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe coins of Naples during the reign of Charles II were part of the monetary system of the Kingdom of Naples, which was under Spanish sovereignty from the beginning of the 16th century to the beginning of the 18th century. The Naples mint issued silver and gold coins of various denominations, including the tari, ducat (or piastre), and carlin, which bore the legacy of several monetary reforms throughout the 17th century.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003e The Kingdom of Naples, also called the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, had been under Spanish control since 1503, when it was occupied by Ferdinand the Catholic through the Great Captain.  Since then, Neapolitan coins reflected Spanish power in Italy, with symbols such as dynastic coats of arms and characteristic religious representations. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003e During the reign of Charles II (1665-1700), the Naples mint underwent significant reforms, such as the introduction of flywheel-driven coining (a more modern press) around 1683, which improved the quality and regularity of the coins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSome historians speak of the existence of a Charles II in \"Italian key\". A monarch who would differ in several factors from the same Charles II of the Peninsula or the King of the Indies. The Italian Charles II, his court, his dynasty, is intimately and inextricably linked to the Italian art of the time.  This creates a peculiar relationship between art and power that can be observed in all cultural orders, and numismatics is no exception.  It is therefore no coincidence that the care and beauty with which mint masters and assayers, such as Andrea Giovane and Antonio Ariani, minted these specimens. Italy, more specifically Naples, had become a true artistic laboratory that sought not only to achieve high levels of beauty but also to project a positive image of both the Crown and the king himself. And so we find, for example, these reverses where, in harmony, elements as disparate as a western orb crowned with a cornucopia and an intertwined fasces coexist. No novel element or one we don't already know; on the contrary, we find fully established decorative elements (is anything more traditional in numismatics than a cornucopia or a fasces?), whose objective is none other than to show an air of continuity and positivism to this reign.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eSymbolic and cultural meaning\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe coins of this period used iconography related to Spanish sovereignty and the legitimacy of the monarch. For example, some coins of Charles II of Naples featured crowned hemispheres symbolizing the dominion of the Hispanic monarchy in both the Old World (Europe) and the New World (America), an idea reflected in the motto \"Unus non sufficit\" (One world is not enough).\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThese pieces also bore coats of arms, crosses, and sometimes representations of chivalric orders such as the Golden Fleece, which reinforced royal authority and its connection to medieval and religious traditions.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003cspan\u003eNeapolitan coins from the 17th century influenced later Hispano-American numismatics, especially in the designs of coins that circulated in the American colonies during the colonial period.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ibercoin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55367357333890,"sku":null,"price":490.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/files\/carlos-ii-1665-1700-tari-1687-napoles-ebc-au-55-preciosa-patina-107.webp?v=1774703350"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/7593\/6642\/collections\/5382aabd-81ee-48ee-9ebd-b54dc8fea5ac_318.jpg?v=1752737898","url":"https:\/\/nqa88x-1f.myshopify.com\/en\/collections\/seleccion-de-carlos-ii-1665-1700-ultimo-de-los-austrias.oembed","provider":"Numivium Numismática","version":"1.0","type":"link"}