Authentic
Genuine Ancient (16th Century AD) Spanish Colonial 1/2 Maravedis
Bronze Coin Pendant with Handmade Black Jasper / Agate Necklace.
The coin minted in Castile, Spain, circa 1566 AD by Philip II of Spain. Obverse: Castle
(symbol of Castile); in left field, patriarchal cross; in right field
C (Cuenca mint mark). Reverse: Crowned monogram of king (PHIL sharing
elements, VS entwined). Beautiful Natural Sand Patina!
The pendant's approximate diameter is 18.5 mm. The necklace's length is 18.5". Please take a look at the photos for details. Shipping
fees: $3.99 (the US), $9.99 (Canada), $13.49 (Worldwide). Thank you
for looking.
Historical Facts:
Starting in the reign of Philip II (1556 - 1598), the mints produced
irregular coinage called cobs. Rather than rolling out a bar of metal into a
sheet of a specific thickness that could then be cut into smooth round
planchets which would be stamped into coins, a faster method was employed. A
bar was simply cut into chunks of the appropriate weight. These small clumps were
then treated as if they were finished planchets and were hammer struck between
crude dies. In fact, the Spanish word "cabo" (from which the English
"cob" is derived) refers to the end; in this instance, the clump of
metal clipped off the end of the bar. The size, shape and impression of these
cobs was highly irregular but they were the proper weight. Many cobs were quite
thick and disfigured with large cracks. Also, these uneven clumps made poor
planchets so that frequently only a small portion of the image on the die was
impressed. If a cob was overweight the minter simply clipped a piece off,
further disfiguring the coin.