Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
Kingdom of Spain
Charles III
4 Escudos
西班牙王國
卡洛斯三世
4埃斯庫多
Item number: A1582
Year: AD 1774
Material: Gold
Size: 28.3 x 28.7 x 1.1 mm
Weight: 13.4 g
Manufactured by: Royal Mint of Spain, Madrid
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2016
This is a 4-escudo gold coin minted in AD 1774 by the Royal Mint of Madrid and issued in the name of King Charles III of Spain. At the time, one escudo was approximately equivalent to 16 reales in silver coinage.
The obverse of the coin features a half-length portrait of Charles III, depicted draped and armoured, facing right. Encircling the portrait is the Latin inscription “CAROL · III · D · G · HISP · ET IND · R ·,” an abbreviation of “Carolus III Dei gratia Hispaniarum et Indiarum Rex,” meaning “Charles III, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies.” The title “King of the Indies” reflected the Spanish monarch’s sovereignty over the American territories. Below the portrait, the year “1774” is inscribed.
The reverse of the coin bears the Spanish grand coat of arms, arranged in a six-part layout, structured into three rows with two sections in each, following a left-to-right and top-to-bottom sequence. The first section consists of vertical stripes on the left, while the right half is diagonally divided into vertical stripes and two displayed eagles, representing Aragon and the Crown of Aragon-Sicily. The second section contains three horizontal stripes on the left and fleurs-de-lis with a two-colour border on the right, symbolising Austria and the Valois-Burgundy Duchy. The third section, displaying six fleurs-de-lis arranged in a circular pattern, represents the House of Farnese. The fourth section consists of seven orbs, one of which bears a fleur-de-lis, signifying the House of Medici. The fifth section, with a diagonal-striped border, represents the Capetian-Burgundy Duchy, while the sixth section, featuring a rampant lion, symbolises the Duchy of Brabant in the Low Countries.
The lower section of the grand shield is divided into two halves, with the left half featuring a lion representing the County of Flanders, and the right half an eagle symbolising the County of Tyrol. At the centre, a small escutcheon is quartered, with the top-left and bottom-right sections featuring a three-towered castle representing the Kingdom of Castile, while the top-right and bottom-left display a crowned rampant lion symbolising the Kingdom of León. The base of the escutcheon bears a pomegranate, representing the Kingdom of Granada. Above the shield is the Royal Crown of Spain, while the shield itself is surrounded by the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The outer rim of the coin bears the Latin inscription “IN · UTROQ · FELIX · · AUSPICE · DEO ·,” translating to “In both realms, fortunate under God’s protection.” The phrase “both realms” likely refers to Spain and its American territories, reflecting Charles III’s intent to consolidate control over the colonies. Below, a crowned “M” represents the Madrid Royal Mint, while the initials “PJ” refer to assayers Pedro Cano and Juan San Faury, who certified the coin’s value. The die engraving was executed by Tomás Francisco Prieto, the Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint and Director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando during the reign of Charles III.
The Spanish escudo was first issued in AD 1535 to fund the Tunisian campaign. The term “escudo” means “shield” in Spanish, and as Spain expanded its influence, many other nations introduced similar coins bearing the same designation.
Charles III, the fourth Bourbon monarch of Spain, implemented the Bourbon Reforms (Reformas Borbónicas) to restore national strength, centralise authority, and increase administrative and economic efficiency in the colonies. His fiscal reforms introduced new taxation policies to enhance colonial revenue, and he expanded royal control over mining and trade. Additionally, he reorganised the colonial administration by creating new viceroyalties, diminishing the power of local elites and Creole aristocrats.
By the 1760s, Spain’s alliance with France under the Bourbon Family Compact heightened tensions with Britain, particularly over territorial disputes in the Americas and the Mediterranean. As maritime conflicts escalated, both nations engaged in naval raids against each other’s ships. Following the outbreak of the American War of Independence in 1776, Charles III formally joined the Franco-American coalition against Britain in 1779, seeking to reclaim territories lost during the Seven Years’ War, such as Florida. Furthermore, he liberalised colonial trade, breaking the Cadiz-Seville trade monopoly, which stimulated economic growth in the Americas.
While the Bourbon Reforms strengthened the monarchy’s economic and political control, they also alienated the Creole elite, whose autonomy was increasingly restricted. These grievances later contributed to the Latin American independence movements of the 19th century. Nevertheless, Charles III’s rule revitalised Spain’s influence, ensuring its continued presence on the European political stage in the late 18th century.
金幣的正面是卡洛斯三世的半身像,披甲著袍,面朝右。周圍環繞著拉丁簡寫「CAROL · III · D · G · HISP · ET IND · R ·」,即「Carolus III Dei gratia Hispaniarum et Indiarum Rex」,意為「卡洛斯三世,蒙上帝恩典,西班牙與印度國王」,印度國王為西班牙君主用以體現其於美洲主權的頭銜。「1774」為發行年。
金幣的背面為西班牙的大盾徽,為六分式排列,分為三排,每排兩部分,左起由上而下依序排列。第一部分左半的豎條紋,與右半以對角分割的豎條紋與兩隻展翼雄鷹,代表阿拉貢與阿拉貢-西西里王國。第二部分左半的三道橫紋,與右半的鳶尾花佐以雙色鑲邊,分別代表奧地利與瓦盧瓦-勃根第公國。第三部分的六朵鳶尾環狀排列,代表了法爾內塞家族。第四部份的七個球體,其中之一有著鳶尾花,代表了麥地奇家族。第五部分的鑲邊斜紋,代表了卡佩-勃根第公國。第六部分的人立雄獅,代表低地地區的布拉邦公國。大盾徽下方盾尖分為兩半,左半為法蘭德斯伯國之獅,右半為提洛伯國之鷹。中央小盾徽分為四個象限,左上與右下部分的三尖頂塔樓,代表卡斯提爾王國。右上與左下的戴冠人立雄獅,代表里昂王國。小盾徽盾尖的石榴,代表格拉納達王國。大盾徽之上為西班牙王冠,盾徽則環繞以金羊毛鏈章。外圈則環繞拉丁簡寫「IN · UTROQ · FELIX · · AUSPICE · DEO ·」,即「In Utroque Felix Auspice Deo」,意為「兩者皆繁盛,蒙上帝庇佑」,「兩者」可能是指歐陸與新大陸,展現在新大陸強化統治的意圖。下方飾有王冠的「M」為馬德里皇家鑄幣廠的鑄幣標記,「PJ」則分別是試金員佩德羅·卡諾(Pedro Cano) 與胡安·桑·福里(Juan San Faury)的署名,擔保金幣的價值。硬幣的鑄版則由雕刻家托馬斯·弗朗西斯科·普列托(Tomás Francisco Prieto)設計,其為卡洛斯三世時期的皇家造幣廠總雕刻師與聖費爾南多皇家美術學院院長。