SPAIN - PHILIPPE II January 16, 1556 - September 13, 1598 - Lot 145

SPAIN - PHILIPPE II January 16, 1556 - September 13, 1598 Crowned shield with multiple quarters. On the right, the year and on the left, SIP. R/. Cross potentate within a leafy quatrefoil flanked by globules. ♦ Fr 159; Cal 848; Cy 4126 Double-escudo 15(9)3 Seville (6.73 g) Attached is an escudo of the same type (undated). (3,33 g) Beautiful. Macuquiñas, also known as "COBs", are crude coins hammered in Spain and the South American colonies. These coins are characterized by their rough appearance and irregular flanks, making them mysterious and arousing curiosity. They evoke the Spanish conquest of America, but also the presence of pirates in the Caribbean Sea, where Spanish ships laden with precious cargo sailed en route to Spain. Very recently, a galleon called the "San José", the largest ship in the Spanish armada, sunk by the British on June 7, 1708, containing a priceless treasure, was discovered off the Colombian islands almost 300 years after its sinking.