This is an authentic Spanish silver coin minted in Mexico City during the reign of King Philip II. The obverse of this coin depicts a cross with lions and castles, and the reverse features the crowned coat of arms of Philip II, along with the Mexican mintmark "M" and the assayer's mark "O." A Jerusalem cross with a ball at each end indicates that it was minted at the Mexican mint.
Philip II, of the House of Habsburg, is considered one of the greatest rulers in Spanish history for his leadership in global exploration and colonial expansion across the Atlantic and Pacific. He extended his empire across several continents, creating one of the largest empires ever known and reshaping the political map of the world.
With the discovery of unimaginable riches extracted from the Americas, the Spanish and their powerful fleets of galleons became the world's leading suppliers of gold and silver coins. During this adventurous era, it was inevitable that large amounts of Spanish treasure would be lost on land or at sea due to pirates, storms, and other unforeseen disasters.
The real was a monetary unit in Spain and its colonies for several centuries. When new silver deposits were discovered in the colonial territories, there was an urgent need to quickly export it to Spain. To this end, beginning during the reign of Philip II, mints began producing irregular coins known as macuquinas (cobs). A silver bar was cut into pieces of the appropriate weight. The purpose of these rough but precisely heavy pieces was to facilitate their transport. Already in Spain, macuquinas. They were melted down to make jewelry, coins, ingots, and other objects. Each coin has a unique shape and is a unique piece of history.
