How to Identify Ancient Spanish Coins

Spain was a major colonial power in the 16th through 19th centuries.

During Spain's colonial rule, 12 mints in Spain produced five types of coins. Not only were the coins used in Spain and their colonies, but Spanish colonial coins also were used as an accepted currency in the American colonies before an American currency was created. The five types of coins created by Spanish mints were the pillar, shield, pillar and waves, milled pillar and milled bust. When identifying ancient Spanish coins, the primary identification characteristic is the type of coin.

Instructions

1. Learn to recognize the pillar type of coins. The pillar coins were the first Spanish colonial silver coins that were used in the New World. Look for a round coin with two pillars on one of its sides. Waves may or may not be on the coin. The other side of the coin has a coat of arms with castles and lions and an image of a pomegranate at the bottom. These coins were hand-pressed.

2. Identify the shield coins. These were the second kind of Spanish colonial coins. One side of a shield coin has a coat of arms with complicated designs that represented Spanish colonies. The other side of the coin has a cross with castles and lions. These coins were hand-pressed.

3. Learn the pillars and waves coins. These were the third type of Spanish coin in the New World. One side of this type of coin has two pillars with waves and two horizontal lines. The other side has a cross with castles and lions. Some of the coins from this period do not have the horizontal lines on the side with the pillars but will match the other descriptions. These coins were hand-pressed.

4. Identify the milled pillar coins. The fourth type of Spanish colonial coins, these were machine-struck with one side displaying two pillars and waves that are separated by two globes and covered with one crown. The other side of the coin shows a crown over a shield with the lions, castles and lower pomegranate (similar to the pillar coins) and three images of fleur-de-lis.

5. Learn to identify milled bust coins. These were the fifth type of coins offered by Spain during the colonial period. They were machine-struck, and one side has the profile of the Spanish king. The other side has two pillars separated by two globes and one crown. This coin also has the lions, castles, pomegranate and three fleur-de-lis.

References

• New World Treasures: Spanish Colonial Coin Types
• The History of Coins: Spanish Coins