Title
4 maravedís of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile
Generic classification
NumismaticsObject
CoinDate
ca. 1552-1566Century
Third quarter of the 16th c.Cultural context / style
RenaissanceDimensions
1,18 inMaterial
BronzeTechnique
CoinageProvenance
Burgos Mint (Burgos, Spain)Current location
Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, United States)Inventory Number in Current Collection
2001.87.24925Inscriptions / Marks
"FERNANDVS ET ELISABET D G" - "REX ET REGINA CASTELLE LEGIONIS": Ferdinand and Isabella by the Grace of God - King and Queen of Castile and León.
Object history
On June 13, 1497, the Catholic Monarchs issued a Pragmatic Decree in Medina del Campo (Valladolid) aimed at unifying currency denominations and establishing regulations regarding coinage. With this decree, they established a new philosophy of the modern state in line with the needs of the economy (Alfaro, 2004; Ruiz, 2004). Evidence of this can be seen in the cuatro excelentes and the cuarto de real. The four-maravedís coin circulated during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and bore their initials: the“Y”for Isabella and the“F”for Ferdinand.
If we examine this specimen, we can see that the obverse and reverse do not bear the monarchs’ initials, but rather feature a castle and a lion. The change in design indicates that it was not minted during the reign of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, but rather at a later date (Quadras and Ramón, 1892). During the Habsburg era, the currency underwent fluctuations and reforms due to the kingdom’s economic problems. Gold and silver coins were used for financial transactions and large payments, while the vellón was used for smaller expenses. Joanna I of Castile and Charles V continued to apply much of the previous monetary system. During their reign, four-excelentes coins were issued in the name of the Catholic Monarchs, but featuring a castle on the obverse and a lion on the reverse.
The obverse of the coin specifically indicates its mint of origin: Burgos. It entered circulation in that city in the mid-16th century, but we do not know when it left Spain. At the end of the 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. That institution holds a large number of coins from the era of the Catholic Monarchs. The following are just a few examples: one real, two reales, four reales, and eight reales are among them.
Description
On the obverse of the coin, a castle is depicted with the inscription“FERNANDVS ET ELISABET D G,”as well as the letter “B,” which indicates its mint; while on the reverse, a rampant lion faces left, and the inscription reads“REX ET REGINA CASTELLE LEGIONIS.”
Locations
Mid XVIth c.
2001
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.
- QUADRAS Y RAMÓN, Manuel Vidal (1892): Catálogo de la Colección de Monedas y Medallas de Manuel Vidal Quadras y Ramón, A. López Robert, Barcelona, p. 158.
- RUIZ TRAPERO, María (2004): "La reforma monetaria de los Reyes Católicos: su importancia histórica", en III Jornadas Científicas sobre Documentación en Época de los Reyes Católicos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, pp. 249-272.
Record manager
Isabel Escalera FernándezCitation:
Isabel Escalera Fernández, "4 maravedís of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/580
