Spain (1475-97)-S S castellano Fr-139
This specimen was lot 20552 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $2,400. The catalog description[1] noted, "SPAIN. Castellano, ND (1476-1516). Seville Mint. Ferdinand & Isabella. NGC AU Details--Obverse Scratched. Quite well struck and handsome, this example doesn't exhibit much in the way of handling and has just a few light marks near the top of the obverse accounting for the details designation." The gold coinage of Spain prior to the rule of the Catholic Kings is rare. Cayón notes that a castellano had a face value of 485 maravedis. Many varieties exist of this type, with no dots (Cayón-2894), two dots (Cayón-2895, shown here), little stars (Cayón-2896), four dots (Cayón-2898) and so forth. This variety is common for the type, which was also struck at Burgos, Segovia and Toledo.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.6 g, gold.
Catalog reference: Cayón-2895, Fr-139.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2021 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Oro del Nuevo Mundo and Matt Orsini Collections, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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