Title
1/4 Real of Ferdinand V, King of Spain and Isabella I, Queen of Spain
Generic classification
NumismaticsObject
CoinDate
ca. 1497Century
Last quarter of the 15th c.Cultural context / style
RenaissanceDimensions
0,80 inMaterial
SilverTechnique
CoinageIconography / Theme
Reyes CatólicosProvenance
Segovia Mint (Segovia, Spain)Current location
Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, United States)Inventory Number in Current Collection
2001.87.25414Inscriptions / Marks
"Fernandus et Elisabet - Rex et Regina Cast Legion": Ferdinand and Isabella - King and Queen of Castile and León.
Object history
The Catholic Monarchs minted silver coins of various denominations during their reign: one real, half a real, and a quarter of a real, the latter being the smallest. Following the Pragmatic Decree issued in Medina del Campo (Valladolid) in 1497, they implemented a more stable monetary system (Alfaro, 2004). Under the ordinance of 1475, the cuartos de real weighed approximately 0.85 g, whereas after the Pragmatic Decree of 1497, they exceeded 90 g. Therefore, we believe this specimen was minted in the late 15th century.
During the reign of the monarchs, there were seven official mints: Burgos, Cuenca, A Coruña, Granada, Segovia, Seville, and Toledo (Ortiz and Paz, 2007). Most cuartos reales come from the Seville mint; however, in this case, we are dealing with a coin from the Segovia mint, as evidenced by the mark featuring the city’s aqueduct.
It entered circulation following the Pragmatic Sanction of the Catholic Monarchs, but we do not know when it left Spain. By the late 20th century, it was housed at the Yale University Library (New Haven, United States), and in 2001 it was transferred to the Yale University Art Gallery, where it is currently preserved. The institution houses numerous numismatic specimens. The following are just a few examples: a real,two reales, four reales, andeight reales, all minted in Burgos.
Description
The cuartos de real were very small coins that were difficult to handle, which explains why they were minted in smaller quantities than the real and the medio real. This coin features the emblems of the Catholic Monarchs: the yoke of Ferdinand V and the arrows of Isabella I. Together, these symbols conveyed a joint political message alluding to Isabella the Catholic’s role as the legitimate heir to the throne (Mingote, 2005; López, 2012). Thus, those who did not submit to her authority (the yoke) would have to face her with weapons (arrows). These emblems appeared in all kinds of artistic expressions: manuscripts, facades, paintings, and even the coins circulating throughout the kingdom.
Locations
Last quarter of the XVth c.
ca. 2001
ca. 2001 - present
Bibliography
- ALFARO ASINS, Carmen (2004): "La reforma de la moneda", en Los Reyes Católicos y la monarquía de España, coordinado por Lucía Vallejo, Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales (SECC), Madrid, pp. 97-112.
- LÓPEZ POZA, Sagrario (2012): "Empresas o divisas de Isabel de Castilla y Fernando de Aragón (los Reyes Católicos)", vol. 1, Janus. Estudios sobre el Siglo de Oro, pp. 1-38.
- MINGOTE CALDERÓN, José Luis (2005): Los orígenes del yugo como divisa de Fernando el Católico, Institución Fernando el Católico, Zaragoza.
- ORTIZ, María Esperanza y PAZ, Juan Ángel (2007): "Monedas y sigilos de los Reyes Católicos espejos de la historia", en Ferdinandus Rex Hispaniarum: príncipe del Renacimiento, coordinado por Ricardo Centellas, Cortes de Aragón, Zaragoza, p. 146.
Record manager
Isabel Escalera FernándezCitation:
Isabel Escalera Fernández, "1/4 Real of Ferdinand V, King of Spain and Isabella I, Queen of Spain" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/578
