1201 | Centenary of the Peseta

Automatically generated translation

ALFONSO XII (1874-1885). 5 pesetas. (Ar. 25.04g /37mm). 1882 *18-82. MadridMSM. (Cal-2019-51). Uncirculated. Original Luster . Magnificent very rare specimen in this precious quality.

The reign of Alfonso XII, and in general the entire period that we know as the Restoration, is a decisive moment for the consolidation of the Peseta as the country's monetary unit. And it is that, with the exceptions of the Napoleonic Peseta of Catalonia at the beginning of the 19th century and the Elizabethan Peseta of 1836 and 1837 (framed in the context of the Carlist Wars), the denomination of Peseta continues to be relatively new at the moment. It was not until the Provisional Government when it acquired the concept of legal tender. The first Duros or 5 Pesetas minted by Alfonso XII maintain the reverse of those of 1869 to which the real crown and the Bourbon shield are added. The bust on the obverse, the work of Gregorio Sellán (main engraver of the Madrid Mint) is presented in the first years without a beard to end up being bearded from 1882 to 1885, the year of his death.