Spain 2 Escudos 1622 "Year of the Atocha" PCGS 58
Click above image to view in eBay store
Philip IV Gold Cob 2 Escudos, 1622 S-G, Seville Mint – PCGS AU58 (Cal-1823) | Weight: 6.73g
Struck in the heart of imperial Spain during a pivotal year in both maritime and political history, this 1622-dated gold cob 2 escudos, minted in Seville under assayer G, bears witness to the early rule of King Philip IV (r. 1621–1665)—a monarch whose reign spanned both the height of Spain’s cultural Golden Age and the beginning of its long imperial decline.
Graded AU58 by PCGS, this coin boasts near-Mint State preservation, showcasing sharp, hand-struck details characteristic of early 17th-century Spanish gold. The surfaces shimmer with a warm golden hue, retaining intricate elements of the crowned shield and bold cross motif despite the inherently crude and asymmetrical nature of cob coinage.
The Young Monarch: Philip IV Ascends
By 1622, Philip IV had just begun his reign, having inherited the throne the year before upon the death of his father, Philip III. At only 17 years old, the young king was thrust into a kingdom that spanned continents but was crumbling at its core.
His rule would be dominated by the ambitions of his favorite and chief minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, a reformer whose attempts to centralize Spain and fund continental wars would ultimately exhaust the empire. Philip IV’s era was defined by continuous warfare—including the Thirty Years’ War—and financial ruin, but it was also marked by unmatched artistic and cultural achievements. He became the great patron of Diego Velázquez, whose portraits immortalized the royal court and the king’s haunted majesty.
The Seville Mint: Gateway of Empire
Struck at the Seville mint, this coin reflects the intense activity of Spain’s premier inland port and financial center. Seville in the early 17th century was the official hub of transatlantic trade, the place where treasure from the Americas was registered, taxed, and recast into coins like this one.
The S-G mintmark denotes Seville and assayer G (likely Juan de Gestal), part of a meticulous system meant to ensure quality in the gold coinage that would support Spain’s military campaigns and extravagant court life. The gold used for this issue likely came from colonial mines in Nueva Granada (modern Colombia) or Peru, flowing through the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) before being hammered into form at the mint.
1622: A Year of Imperial Tension and Tragedy
The year 1622 is particularly evocative for historians and collectors. Just months after this coin was minted, the treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha—laden with gold, silver, emeralds, and coins like this very piece—was destroyed by a hurricane off the Florida Keys, becoming one of the most iconic shipwrecks in history.
It was a symbolic disaster for a kingdom increasingly overextended. The wealth that had once made Spain the envy of Europe was now fragile, dependent on the safe return of treasure fleets that grew more vulnerable with each passing year.
Struck in the heart of imperial Spain during a pivotal year in both maritime and political history, this 1622-dated gold cob 2 escudos, minted in Seville under assayer G, bears witness to the early rule of King Philip IV (r. 1621–1665)—a monarch whose reign spanned both the height of Spain’s cultural Golden Age and the beginning of its long imperial decline.
Graded AU58 by PCGS, this coin boasts near-Mint State preservation, showcasing sharp, hand-struck details characteristic of early 17th-century Spanish gold. The surfaces shimmer with a warm golden hue, retaining intricate elements of the crowned shield and bold cross motif despite the inherently crude and asymmetrical nature of cob coinage.
The Young Monarch: Philip IV Ascends
By 1622, Philip IV had just begun his reign, having inherited the throne the year before upon the death of his father, Philip III. At only 17 years old, the young king was thrust into a kingdom that spanned continents but was crumbling at its core.
His rule would be dominated by the ambitions of his favorite and chief minister, the Count-Duke of Olivares, a reformer whose attempts to centralize Spain and fund continental wars would ultimately exhaust the empire. Philip IV’s era was defined by continuous warfare—including the Thirty Years’ War—and financial ruin, but it was also marked by unmatched artistic and cultural achievements. He became the great patron of Diego Velázquez, whose portraits immortalized the royal court and the king’s haunted majesty.
The Seville Mint: Gateway of Empire
Struck at the Seville mint, this coin reflects the intense activity of Spain’s premier inland port and financial center. Seville in the early 17th century was the official hub of transatlantic trade, the place where treasure from the Americas was registered, taxed, and recast into coins like this one.
The S-G mintmark denotes Seville and assayer G (likely Juan de Gestal), part of a meticulous system meant to ensure quality in the gold coinage that would support Spain’s military campaigns and extravagant court life. The gold used for this issue likely came from colonial mines in Nueva Granada (modern Colombia) or Peru, flowing through the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) before being hammered into form at the mint.
1622: A Year of Imperial Tension and Tragedy
The year 1622 is particularly evocative for historians and collectors. Just months after this coin was minted, the treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha—laden with gold, silver, emeralds, and coins like this very piece—was destroyed by a hurricane off the Florida Keys, becoming one of the most iconic shipwrecks in history.
It was a symbolic disaster for a kingdom increasingly overextended. The wealth that had once made Spain the envy of Europe was now fragile, dependent on the safe return of treasure fleets that grew more vulnerable with each passing year.
|
|
|
|
|
