Quarantine Diary

another Frankfurt coin
AV Dukat 1796
under French Occupation

 

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Day 11: Since we're mentioning coinage under French occupation, here's a Spanish 4 Reales, 1812, issued under King Joseph-Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Emperor needed someone he could trust to rule newly conquered Spain, so he pulled his unwilling brother from a relatively secure position as King of Naples to become King of Spain. He was reluctant to go, and was much less popular in rebellious Spain. He only ruled from 1808-1813. After losing his position as king, he spent much of his retirement in the US, including settling in New Jersey (!), where he fathered a couple illegitimate children by his mistress.

 

In 1700 King Carlos II of Spain died childless/ but in his will decreed that Philip grandson of Carlos II half sister Maria Theresia/ first wife of Louis XIV of France, would be first in line to succeed him. Charles (future HRE Charles VI) was second in line. Great Britain, Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire wanted no Bourbon to become King of Spain. Philip was crowned King, and as a result the War of the Spanish Succession began in 1701 and ended in 1714. In the end 400,000 people died over nothing. This coin is from Colonial Mexico City Mint.

 

Here's the pretender, Carlos III of Spain = Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI
I think he "ruled" over parts of Spain from 1705-1711, but did issue some coins.

2 Reales, Carlos III (Pretender), 1711

 

Yes, I have 2 coins from Sardinia/ Caligari
One with Philip V/ another with Karl III (HRE Karl VI)

 

Day 12: 20 Reis from the Kingdom of Brazil, 1816

The King and court of Portugal had fled to Brazil during the Napoleonic Era. Brazil was elevated from a mere colony to a kingdom on par with the motherland in 1815. The various provinces minted too much copper coinage in this era, causing inflation compared to silver. The 1820s coins were often countermarked in the 1830s to bring their nominal value back into line with their purchasing power.

 

Here is the reason they had to flee to Brazil.
When the French asked their ally Spain to allow French troops safe passage to invade Portugal, on a deal they would partition Portugal between them. The Spanish King Carlos IV abdicated. In turn Napoleon put Joseph his brother on the Spanish throne in 1808. The Spanish people rose in revolt, but this was suppressed. Then the British sent Wellington with an army to drive the French from the Iberian Peninsula.
This led to the so called Peninsular War 1808-13.
Here is my
AV 80 Reales 1810 Madrid Mint
Jose Napoleon King of Spain 1808-13

 

Day 13: 1797 Prussia 4 Groschen (= 1/6 Thaler = 1/84 Mark)

"FRIDERICUS WILHELM. BORUSS.REX." (Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia)
"PURA COLON. 84 EX MARCA 1797 4.GR." (Pure Colon(???) 84 in a Mark, 4 Groschen)
I didn't know Borussia (BORUSS. here) was Latin for Prussia.
Any ideas as to what "Pura Colon." refers to? I'm not sure what Colon. is a Latin abbreviation for. Online translation gives me the body part, which is not helpful.
Something to do with colonial silver?

 

Wilhelm V Comte de Hollande/ Hainault/ Duke of Bavaria
nicknamed "the insane" 1335-88

He once held a banquet, everyone overate/ got loaded on wine/ beer. One boisterous Knight yelled out a crude joke at the expense of the Duke. Well, right there and then, Wilhelm got up and decapitated that guy with one swing of his boardsword.....my coin shows him holding that weapon The lesson here is, never poke fun at a guy packing a weapon.

 

Day 14: Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, 3 Grosze, 1623
Under Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania
Obverse: "SIG.III.D.G.REX.POL.M.D:L."
Reverse: "III 1 6 2 3 GROS.ARGE TRIP.REGN POLONI"

I haven't been able to figure out the mintmaster's marks on these, so I'm not sure which city it was minted in. Any advice (or other coin photos) welcome, as usual!

Update: Here's one on Numista with a little more detail visible.

 

Here is a PROVA AV 100 Franga 1928-R Roma Mint
King Zogu I
This a great design, magnificent Doubleheaded Eagle on reverse/ Really dashing portrait of the King of Albania. In 1939 Italy invaded Albania, Zogu went into exile. In 1946 Communist partisans under Enver Hoxha took power, and setup a Stalinist dictatorship. So began many decades of darkness for Albania, wishing they had their King back.

 

Day 15: I'm not 100% sure about the attribution. Packaging said "Bengal Rupee"
Here is a close-looking match from Numista:
Bengal Rupee Shah Alam II 1793-1818 Calcutta mint

I believe the "19" on the reverse is the regnal year, but apparently they minted these with the same number for many years.

 

With India....
AV Mohur 1628 Surat Mint
Mughal Empire
Shah Jahan I
ex: Akola Hoard
These where freshly minted from Surat Mint, then sent via armed transport to Golconda, to pay the Emperors troops, who where on a military campaign there. However a torrential monsoon deluge washed away the road, and the wagon with the gold coins. These where later found in 1975 near a River, buried in silt. Luckily, the coins where in a steel chest and in perfect quality. This coin is part of that hoard.

 

Day 16: Liberia 25 cents, 1896
I like how similar in feel these are to US coinage of the era.
The mintages aren't huge on these. I think they only minted this series in 1896 and 1906, in the tens of thousands each. There's unfortunately a big scratch on the face of Liberty, but I'm happy to have one in any condition.

 

Visigoths Kings of Spain
AV Tremissis ND Cordoba Mint
Ervig 684-87AD
Ervig succeeded Wamba as King in 684 after Wamba was forced to abdicate. Ervig issued a decree that all Jews where to convert to Christianity or be banned from Spain. In 687 he fell ill and thought it best to promote his son in law Egica to replace him as King.

 

Day 17: I'm running out of "new" photos of old coins, so I took some new photos of various loose coins. Here: UK shillings, mostly purchased for spot or a little more from my local coin store in the 90s.
From top L: George III 1817, George IV 1826, Victoria 1875, 1887, 1900 (different portraits), George V 1934, George VI 1946 (the last year of silver)
I'm think I'm missing William IV, Edward VII and (of course) Edward VIII in this size loose. I probably have a QEII in my "junk box" of recent non-silver coins.

 

Day 18: A couple of chop-marked 8 reales from Mexico:
Top: Carlos IIII Colonial, 1791
Bottom: Republic of Mexico, 1869, shortly after the fall of Emperor Maximilian of the Second Mexican Empire in 1867.

 

Day 19: Some UK halfpennies
I thought the first one was a beat up Victoria when I got it from the junk bin a while ago, but on closer inspection I think it's a George II like this one (date unreadable, but I think it's the later portrait).
From top left: George II 1740-54, Victoria 1861, Victoria 1896, Edward VII 1902, George V 1936, George VI 1941, Elizabeth II 1957

 

Day 20: Peru 1 Sol, 1867.
I love that they have a vicuña on their coat of arms.
The tree is cinchona, source of quinine, a natural antimalarial drug.
The cornucopia is full of not food but coins, representing Peru's mineral wealth.

 

Would you part with the 1861?