Featured Baroque Era (1600-1750) the apex of coinage

I do have other coins that fall within the Baroque period, a period marked by the emergence of what we recognize as the modern nation-state. It was a period of major accomplishments in the areas of art and science, laying the ground for the period that followed: The Age of Enlightenment.

I have just finished a novel about Artemisia Gentileschi, a Baroque painter from Rome, and one of the most accomplished artists of the 17'th century.

Here is one of her self portraits, on done in a remarkable perspective.

1638-1639




It was also a period of much turbulence, marked by war and pandemics, including the 30 Years War, a war of particular savagery, the English Civil War, and the numerous wars between Louis XIV and the Holy Roman Empire, England, Spain and the United Provinces, and the Bubonic Plague that ravaged Europe and England in the late 1660s, only to be halted in London by the Great Fire of 1666.

The collecting of coins opens portals to history; they invite inquiry not only about their physical characteristics, but also the times that they have traversed in their journey to our collections. Coins do, in a manner, speak to us, just like other historical artifacts, inviting us to learn and expand our understanding.

As I have the time and wherewithal I will photograph some of the coins that I have from this period.

This is a coin that I created a thread for, but I also thought that it would be a worthy one for this thread as well.

In 1635, under Philip IV, Spain was at the apex of her power, with an empire, like the later British Empire, where the sun never set. The spectacular silver deposits in the Mexico and Peru were exploited and converted into coinage and bars that flowed to Spain and Asia; in the case of Spain to help finance her wars and the loans taken out by the Crown from Italian and Low Land bankers, and in the case of Asia to buy goods, such as textiles and spices for the markets of Spain and the rest of Europe. This is the beginning of what is now the global economy, albeit on a much more modest scale compared to today's.

The Cinquentin, 50 reales, was produced at Segovia using water powered presses. Given the massive size of these coins (mine is 170 grams) only this level of technology was feasible to create sufficient pressure. The dies were engraved by German die masters.

Issued in very limited quantities, the 1635 date is actually one of the more "common" dates, with 17 known examples. As would be expected of such as massive coin, edge knocks, flan stress and mishandling is quite commonplace. Fortunately, as side from some minor stress on the central obverse and reverse, this example has been treated with care over the centuries.

50 reales, Cincuentin
Philip IV
Segovia (Aqueduct)
Assayer R
Obverse: Spanish Hapsburg shield, crown above, legend: PHILIPPVS IIII D G, Aqueduct and R to the shield's left, 50 to the shield's right.
Reverse: Castles and lions in quadrant, legend: HISPANIARVM REX 1635.

Dav-LS567, KM 81.5, Cayón no. 6590

 

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Excellent coin/ beautifull painting compared to this pile of crap.....

 

I like the Picasso. My tastes span a wide range of art, from classicism, to baroque, to romantic, impressionism, expressionism, representational and abstract. Each period expresses itself through art, music, and, yes, coinage. I appreciate all of them.

The Picasso work is his way of challenging our senses of proportionality, perspective and composition, suggesting that artistic reality can be interpreted at different levels.

Now, having said that, I do have some reservations about mounting a urinal on the wall in a gallery, but I think that is probably a social statement by the artist. Art is dynamic and ever-changing.

But getting back to the subject of this excellent thread, here is a coin from Brazil, when it was a colony of Portugal. This is a 640 reis, 1701, from Pernambuco, located on the northeast coast.

Brazil was not a silver-rich colony, unlike the Andean Spanish Viceroy of Peru. On the contrary, Brazil was rich in placer gold deposits. Silver basically had to be imported from other sources. Because of this situation, silver coinage, with the possible exception for the overstruck 960 and 640 reis of the 19th century, was almost always in short supply, compared to gold and bronze coinage.

The the 640 reis was struck in Pernambuco from 1699 to 1702. That last date, 1702, is extremely rare. In the late 1980s a hoard of these coins, dated 1701 with a few dated 1699 and 1700, hit the market. Many were is very nice grade, suggesting that they came from a buried hoard. The market pretty quickly absorbed these coins, and now they are quite difficult to locate.

This is one of the coins, which I have owned for around 30 years. The dies for these coins, I believe, came from Portugal.

KM 90.2

18.66 grams

 

Italy PAPAL STATES Innocent XII Piastre 1693/Year 3

Rev.: NOVIT IVSTVS CAVSAM PAVPERVM (the righteous considereth the cause of the poor, Prov.29,7) Charity seated breast feeding baby with 2 nude children beside her, at left altar with 1693 over arms of Mgr. Maffeo Farsetti ,president of the mint (tiara over shield with half moon over crossed arrows per fess)

 

Love your posts, thanks for sharing The Papal States produced outstanding coinage.

Here is another of mine to keep thread going...
Portugal
AV 400 Reis (Pinto) 1722
Lisboa Mint
Joao V 1706-50

 

Nice. These little gold coins are really interesting. I have one just a year earlier.

 

Here is a new arrival. Austria, Hall 1632 1/4 Thaler. Obv Archduke Leopold V. This piece has some nice luster and originality.

 

One of my favorite coins in my coll.
Worms
AV Goldgulden 1619
Worms Mint