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2 Maravedis - Charles and Joanna
| Issuer | Santo Domingo (1492-1821) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1542 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | CARO LVS ET IOANA REGIS (Translation: Carlos and Juana monarchs) |
| Reverse description | Two crowned Pillars of Hercules, representing the boundary of the known world and a central symbol of Spanish imperial coinage, occupy the central field. Between and flanking the pillars, a mint mark and assayer initial are visible. The legend ISPANIARVM ET INDIA R surrounds the design, proclaiming sovereignty over Spain and the Indies. The strike is uneven and the flan irregular, typical of hammered colonial maravedis of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Charles and Joanna's 2 Maravedis from Santo Domingo holds a strong claim to being among the earliest European-style coinage struck in the Western Hemisphere. The Casa de Contratación authorized a mint at Santo Domingo in the 1540s partly to address the chronic shortage of small-denomination currency crippling everyday commerce in Hispaniola — gold was abundant in theory, but useless for buying bread. Billon was the practical choice: cheap, familiar to Spanish colonists, and workable in a mint operating far from Castilian oversight.
Joanna had been legally incapacitated since 1509, confined at Tordesillas under her son Charles's authority. Her name appears on colonial coinage throughout his reign regardless.