Title
Pepion of Alfonso X
Generic classification
NumismaticsObject
CoinDate
ca. 1252-1284Century
Third quarter of the 13th c.Cultural context / style
GothicDimensions
0,72 inMaterial
BillonTechnique
CoinageProvenance
Burgos Mint (Burgos, Spain)Current location
Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, United States)Inventory Number in Current Collection
2001.87.26264Inscriptions / Marks
"ALF REX CASTELLE" - "ET LEGIONIS": Alfonso, King of Castile and León
Object history
Pepions were a type of coin minted during the reign of Ferdinand III (1199–1252) and during the early years of the reign of Alfonso X (Argüello, 1852; Ladero, 1997). The chronicle of Alfonso X provides valuable information regarding the coins issued during the monarch’s reign. According to this chronicle,“King Alfonso, at the beginning of his reign, ordered the pepions to be discontinued and had the Burgos coins minted, which were worth ninety dineros per marauedi”(Chronicle of Alfonso X, Chapter I). It should be noted that the term “desfazer” does not refer to melting down, but rather to ceasing the issuance of the pepiones.
At first glance, it might seem that Alfonso X withdrew a coin for no apparent reason; however, according to Mozo (2017), there are aspects of the chronicle that do not appear to be accurate in light of coin finds (Beltrán, 1964) in La Alcarria (Guadalajara) and in Calatrava la Vieja (Ciudad Real). Although the king attempted to withdraw the pepiones, archaeological evidence shows that the public preferred to continue using that coin. Therefore, the pepiones issued in the monarch’s name circulated as normal (Castán, 2000).
If we examine this specimen, we can see the letter “B” at the bottom of the obverse. This refers to the mint where it was struck: Burgos. It was precisely in this province, in the municipality of Castrojeriz, that a small hoard was discovered containing a total of 3,684 coins hidden in a ceramic vessel, among which were a significant number of pepions.
The first documented reference to this coin places it in the collection of Reverend William H. Owen in New York. He donated his numismatic collection to the Yale University Library in 1927. Subsequently, in 2001, the collection was permanently transferred to the Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven). In addition to the pepion, the institution houses a “six-line” coin, so named because its obverse is entirely inscribed with text.
Description
The obverse of the coin features a castle within a circular border, along with a “B” representing the Burgos mint. The inscription reads“ALF REX CASTELLE.” On the reverse of the coin, a lion is depicted in the center of the circular field. The legend reads:“ET LEGIONIS.”
Locations
XIIIth c.
Early XXth c. - ca. 1927
private collection
William Henry Owen, New York (United States) *
First quarter of the XXth c. - 2001
ca. 2001 - present
Bibliography
- ARGÜELLO, Vicente (1852): Memoria sobre el valor de las monedas de D. Alfonso el Sabio, Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, pp. 16/ 46-47.
- BELTRÁN VILLAGRASA, Pío (1964): "Dos tesorillos de vellones ocultos en la primera mitad del reinado de Alfonso X", nº 68, Nvmisma, pp. 55-79.
- CASTÁN LANASPA, Guillermo (2000): Política económica y poder político moneda y fisco en el reinado de Alfonso X el Sabio, Junta de Castilla y León, Valladolid.
- LADERO QUESADA, Miguel Ángel (1997): "Las reformas fiscales y monetarias de Alfonso X como base del Estado moderno", en Alfonso X: aportaciones de un rey castellano a la construcción de Europa, coordinado por Miguel Rodríguez, Editora Regional de Murcia, Murcia, pp. 31-54.
- MOZO MONROY, Manuel (2017): "De burgaleses y prietos. Primeras labras castellano-leonesas de Alfonso X (1252-1264)", nº 4, Revista Numismática Hécate, pp. 156-179.
Record manager
Isabel Escalera FernándezCitation:
Isabel Escalera Fernández, "Pepion of Alfonso X" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/579
