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MEDIEVAL, Spain, Kingdom of Leon and Castille, Ferdinand & Isabella, AN Double Excelente, Struck c.A.D.1479-1504.
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Obverse: FERNANDVS : Z : ELISABET : DEI : GRA +. Crowned busts of Ferdinand & Isabella facing each other.
Reverse: SVB VMBRA ALARVM TVA. Haloed eagle of the evangelist John behind the crowned united coats of arms of Castile-Leon / Aragon-Sicily.
Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille united Spain and captured the beautiful Moorish city of Granada, thus completing the Reconquista of Spain. After the fall of the last Muslim kingdom, they turned their attention to exploration which led to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
The gold Castellano weighing 4,6g was introduced in Castile by Enrique IV in 1475, the coin was highly valued and therefore called "excelente". In 1483 however, Barcelona and Valencia introduced the gold ducat of 3,5g. In 1497, in order to unify gold coin standards within Spain, a coinage act was passed and the Excelente of 3,5 g and 23,75 carat replaced the Castellano in Castile.
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