Item number: A1384

Year: AD 1877

Material: Gold

Size: 22.6 x 22.6 mm

Weight: 8.1 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This is a 25-peseta Spanish coin minted in AD 1877. The first peseta coin was produced in AD 1869 at the Madrid Mint, which later became the official Royal Mint of Spain. From AD 1869, the peseta replaced the peso as Spain’s primary currency, circulating for over a century until it was replaced by the euro (€) in AD 2002. As of 4 December AD 2024, one peseta is equivalent to approximately €0.00601.

The obverse of the coin features King Alfonso XII (28 November AD 1857 – 25 November AD 1885). Following the Glorious Revolution of AD 1868 in Spain, King Alfonso XII’s mother, Queen Isabella II, was deposed. At the age of 11, Alfonso XII went into exile with his mother, residing in Vienna, Austria, where he attended the Theresianum school. Later, he studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) in England. In AD 1870, Queen Isabella II abdicated the throne, a move seen as paving the way for Alfonso XII to reclaim the crown. Four years later, on 29 December AD 1874, Alfonso XII proclaimed himself King of Spain and returned to the country in AD 1875 to ascend the throne.

Despite his limited political experience, Alfonso XII demonstrated dignity and sound judgment during his brief reign, laying the foundation for Spain’s constitutional monarchy. The Spanish phrase “POR LA G DE DIOS” inscribed on the coin translates to “By the Grace of God.” This phrase underscores the divine legitimacy of Alfonso XII’s rule, emphasising that his authority as king was bestowed by God’s grace.

The reverse side of the coin displays the coat of arms of Spain, accompanied by the national motto “Plus Ultra,” meaning “Further Beyond.” The Spanish coat of arms, which has undergone several revisions, traces its origins back to the 11th century, with its modern design established in AD 1981. The shield incorporates various symbols representing the historical kingdoms that comprise Spain. The castle symbolises the Kingdom of Castile, the lion represents the Kingdom of León, the vertical stripes signify the Kingdom of Aragon, the golden chain stands for the Kingdom of Navarre, and the pomegranate at the base of the shield represents the Kingdom of Granada. At the centre of the shield, the three fleur-de-lis signify the Bourbon dynasty. The reverse inscription, “REY CONST DE ESPAÑA,” is an abbreviation of “Rey Constitucional de España,” meaning “Constitutional King of Spain.” This designation highlights Alfonso XII’s role as a monarch whose authority was limited by a constitutional framework.

物件編號: A1384

年代: 公元 1877 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 22.6 x 22.6 mm

重量: 8.1 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是一枚於公元1877年生產的西班牙25比塞塔硬幣，第一枚比塞塔硬幣於公元1869年在西班牙馬德里鑄造廠製造，這個鑄造場後來也成為西班牙官方的皇家鑄造廠，從公元1869年起比塞塔取代披索成為主要貨幣，已在西班牙流通長達100多年之久，直到公元2002年被歐元（euro）所取代，如今1比賽塔相當於0.00601歐元。

硬幣正面為當時的國王阿方索十二世(公元1857年11月28日— 公元1885年11月25日) ，在公元1868年西班牙爆發光榮革命，國王阿方索十二世的母親伊莎貝拉二世被罷黜，年僅11歲的國王阿方索十二世跟隨母親流亡到奧地利維也納並在當地的特蕾西亞學校就讀，以及英國桑德赫斯特皇家軍事學院。母親伊莎貝拉二世在公元1870年宣布退位，此舉被認為是讓國王阿方索十二世有機會重拾皇冠，四年後的公元1874年12月29日國王阿方索十二世宣布自己是西班牙國王，並於次年公元1875年回到西班牙登基。儘管政治經驗欠缺，但是國王阿方索十二世展現了得體且良好的判斷，在他短暫的任期內為西班牙的君主立憲制度奠定了基礎，硬幣上的西班牙文「POR LA G DE DIOS」，全文為「Por La Gracia de Dios」意思為「阿方索十二世，因神的恩典」，強調國王的統治權是透過上帝的恩賜。

硬幣背面為西班牙國徽，國家格言為「Plus ultra」意思是「通向更遠方」。國徽有多個版本，現代的國徽樣式是於公元1981年訂定，最早可追溯到公元11世紀。盾牌的部分由多個國家徽章組成，象徵著西班牙的組成，城堡代表著卡斯蒂利亞王國，獅子代表著雷昂王國，條狀標識則代表著亞拉岡王國，金色鏈條代表納瓦拉王國，在盾牌底部的石榴花代表格拉納達王國，最後，盾牌中央的三株百合花代表波旁王朝。背面硬幣上的字為「REY CONST DE ESPAÑA」，全文是「Rey Constitucional de España」，意思是「西班牙的立憲國王」。