1 Real
Bolivia
166?
KM# 23
Composition: Silver .931
Weight: 3.23g
Diameter: 20.8mm
Thickness: 1.3mm
Charles II
House: Habsburg
Born 1661 - Died 1700
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1 Real Bolivia 166? KM# 23 Composition: Silver .931 Weight: 3.23g Diameter: 20.8mm Thickness: 1.3mm Charles II House: Habsburg Born 1661 - Died 1700 |
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Potosí was founded as a mining town in 1545 by Spain. Potosí is at the foot of the mountain, Cerro Rico (rich mountain) in Bolivia. This mountain is the world's largest silver deposit. Cerro Rico produced an estimated 60% of the world's mined silver from 1550-1600. Spain forced indigenous people into a labor draft to work in the silver mines. Much of the silver was packed on llama and mule, then shipped to Spain. Coins minted here were also used in trade with Asia via Spanish trade ships to the Philippines. Potosí has one of the oldest mints in the Americas. Spanish silver coins produced at these early American mints were crudely made and produced quickly, they are commonly known as cob coins. Cobs are coins of irregular shape that were cut to a specific weight depending on the denomination. They were then hammered with a coin die. The obverse displays a cross with castles and lions in each quadrant, with date below. The reverse has pillars and the letters PLV SVL TRA for the national motto "Plus Ultra" (further beyond), and date below. |
Charles II was King of Spain from 1665, until his death in 1700. Charles II was the last Spanish monarch from the House of Habsburg. He died childless, which led to the War of the Spanish Succession. The French House of Bourbon fought the Austrian Habsburgs for control of the Spanish Empire. The war ended in 1714, Phillip of House Bourbon became king of Spain and retained much of the Spanish Empire's territory. The Austrian Habsburgs acquired a significant portion of the Spanish Netherlands, and parts of Italy for the Holy Roman Empire. |