Description
Spanish cross pistareen coins from mainland Spain were commonly circulated throughout colonial America.
Struck between 1716 and 1771, the Spanish Cross Silver Pistareen is one of the first silver Spanish coins that circulated in colonized America. The name ‘Pistareen’ is derived from a popular form of the word ‘peseta’ meaning ‘weight’ and eventually developed ‘peso’, the current unit of monetary value in Spain.
The Spanish Crown had never intended the Pistareen to leave Spain’s borders but began their journey traveling with sailors to the “Sugar Colonies” of Barbados. The coins eventually found their way to America and brought into common usage in many American Colonies by 1750. Pistareens were rather popular within the “Tobacco Colonies,” where most examples are dug up today.
Obverse: PHILIPPUS *V * D * G *), meaning Philip the Fifth. D.G. is a Latin abbreviation for Dei Gratia or By the Grace of God.
The R for Reales denoting the silver unit of coinage appears over the mintmark S (Seville) to the left of the central shield. The coin value in Roman numerals, I, (one reales) appears over the certifying mint master initial P.
Reverse: Thin cross-quartered, separating the two castles symbolic of Castile from two Lions symbolic of León along with the date 1729 and HISPANIARUM REX meaning King of the Spains.
Diameter: 20.5 mm
Silver-Plated
Packaged in a coin collecting flip with the description of the coin printed on the flip insert.
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