Featured 1786 Spanish 1/2 Escudo with Historical Document

I've always been interested in coins I think mainly because of the history so of course when I Found this like 2 years ago I jumped on it.

I bought this document on a auction site about 2 years ago. It was listed in Coins and came with a ugly 1/2 Escudo. I think because it wasn't listed with having the document really no one paid attention to it. I ended up being the only bidder and got it for the melt value at that time. I took the document to an antique shop and museum and they both said they believe it was authentic. I couldn't find anyone around that could seal it up (with the size of it) so I have a custom frame built. I had it placed between two pieces of non-stick glass. I took pictures of it in the frame also with and without light for the royal water seal.

The document is from King Charles the 3rd of Spain dated 1784. It is concerning the Order of Santiago, which was an order of Spanish Knights. It has the signatures of numerous members of the order and governors at that time.



I wanted to put the 1782 1/2 Escudo with it but I didn't think it went well with the document due to its condition. So today I just got in hand the replacement piece (Charles 3rd) a 1786 1/2 Escudo.



Below is from the net Wiki, about the order for those interested.

"also known as "The Order of St. James of the Sword," was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago (St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrim of St. James' Way and to defend Christendom.[1]

After the death of the Grand Master Alfonso de Cárdenas in 1493, the Catholic Monarchs incorporated the Order into the Spanish Crown and the pope Adrian VI forever united the office of grandmaster of Santiago to the crown in 1523.

The first Republic suppressed the Order in 1873 and, although the Restoration was re-established, it was reduced to a nobiliary institute of honorable character. It was ruled by a Superior Council dependent on the Ministry of War, which was also extinguished after the proclamation of the second Republic in 1931.

The Order of Santiago, together with the Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa, was restored as a civil association with the kingship of Juan Carlos I with the character of a nobiliary, honorable, and religious organization that remains as such."

 

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Great stuff and congrats on owning it! Coin is beautiful too.

 

wow! great coin.

 

Wow indeed. The coin, yeah, that too. But to get such a document along with the piece, that is even better. Not sure but apparently those were tax receipts, sort of: http://miravallesrestaura.blogspot.de/2011/09/el-papel-sellado.html

Oh, and I love that "I The King" signature, hehe.

Christian

 

thanks for the help. I emailed her to get some information on it. its hard to find someone that can read that old dialect of Spanish

 

I got a kick out of the same thing, but thought it peculiar that they didn't have a more formal version of "I" for his majesty.

 

Great post, thanks

 

Great document!
... and coin, too!

 

Interesting document!

I could read some of the handwriting and it looks like the king has approved Don Joseph de Gregorio Marques de Vallesantona as a member of the order.

Congratulations, Don Joseph.

 

I've not used my Spanish in years and I can understand almost that entire document. Perhaps take it to a native Spanish speaker who has had college classes. That, or type all of the words and put it into google translator. I'm certain it'll translate most of it for you. Just make sure you tell it to do Spain Spanish. Feel free to post the translation after you get it!

 

Oh, and beautiful coin and really cool item accompanying it!

 

Most excellent! I really like historic documents and envy you!


Bill

 

The document top reads in English:

THIRD SEAL, SIXTY EIGHT MARAVEDIS,
YEAR OF ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR

The document cost 68 Maravedis, which was 2 silver reales or US 25 cents.

What's a Maravedi?



Spain 8 Maravedis 1774

 

Congrats on the document/coin combo! You did the right thing hunting down a better coin I feel as a dog would have bugged me forever too. Happy Holidays to all....

 

yea ive been looking a while for a replacement. i tried to get the 1784 same year as document but was hard to find.

 

Well done! I work with old papers all day, you did a great job.

 

Christian,

Miravelles said she would have the translation complete towards the new year. thanks for the referral information. ill post it once i recieve it.

 

The coin is awesome, but this thread is all about the document. Let's face it, any of us could probably obtain a Charles III coin any time, but I doubt there are too many period documents in that shape, with that much detail, and with such a nice royal signature, available in the market at any given time. The document was a nice find, the coin was the bonus on top.

 

yes i want to try to get the coin mounted to the document after the new year. i think the 2 together will be On Point.

 

That's an awesome document. I'd love to see the original coin that came with it - was there anything to indicate the significance of the document to that particular coin?

You mentioned putting it between two panes of glass - did you get some with UV tinting? If not, you may want to put a UV tint film over the glass. UV light (especially from gallery lighting) can rapidly age documents and bleed them of their color.