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1/2 Real - Felipe III
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México |
|---|---|
| Year | 1609-1620 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#21 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central cross with flared terminals dividing the field into four quadrants, each containing alternating castles of Castile and lions of León arranged in the traditional Spanish heraldic quartered shield pattern. The quartered arms are enclosed within a polylobe inner border, with a circular legend surrounding the entire device. The irregular strike and planchet are consistent with hand-hammered cob coinage (macuquina) produced at the Mexico City Mint in the early seventeenth century. |
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| Additional information |
Felipe III's reign saw the Mexico City mint operating under a series of corrupt assayers whose fraudulent practices triggered a major royal investigation in 1618. The inquiry found systematic short-weighting and alloy manipulation across multiple denominations — small silver like this half real being particularly easy to debase without detection by ordinary commerce. Several assayers were prosecuted, and the mint's administrative structure was forcibly reorganized before the king's death in 1621.
Cob-style production means no two pieces from this period share an identical shape. The assayer's initial struck during these years is the primary attribution marker for placing a piece within or outside the scandal's window.