Ferdinand V and Isabela I- 1 Reales - Circa (1497-1504) - Toledo Mint

Denomination: 1 Reales​                                                            

Date: Circa 1497-1504

Mint: Toledo, Spain                                                                               

Assayer: “M”​​

Mount: Sterling Silver frame with custom 14K prongs and bale​

Grade: NGC 6870824-004. VF Details

Description: Obverse: Coat of arms in beaded circle. Latin legend (FERDINANDVS ET ELISABET). Translation: ‘Ferdinand and Isabella by the grace of God’. Assayer "M" and denomination "1" visible. Reverse: Arrows and yoke in beaded circle. Latin legend: "REX·ET·REGINA·CAST·LEGION" 

History: To fully understand how the very first Spanish Silver Reales was created you have to understand a little Spanish history. From 1475 to 1500 Spain was in a time of transition. It was the beginning of one of the largest empires in history known as the Spanish Empire or Hispanic Monarchy. In addition, it was the formation of the dynastic union between Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Basically, the king and queen of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon forming a joint reign. The young couple got married on October 19, 1469. She was 18 years old, and he was only seventeen.

The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight, started to be minted by the Spanish Empire. To clarify, this followed the monetary reform in 1497 and was widely used as the first international currency. Some countries, including the United States countermarked the Spanish dollar. Therefore, once the coin was properly weighted with an addition mark or symbol, it could be used as their local currency.