When Spanish Language Appeared on Basque coins

As we saw in the previous entry (link), the French Revolution brought about a complete change in the patterns of northern coins.

But in the south, what was happening at the same time or periods? Well, nothing, at the time of the revolution in France, the kingdoms of Spain remained rooted in the old regime. Through the use of Latin, the coinage indicated that the king's power had a divine origin. Several kings passed, but they all continued in the same tenor. Let's do a review:

• Charles IV, King of Spain (and also from the Indies) until Napoleon deposed the monarchy in 1808 and gave it to his brother Joseph Bonaparte. He created a single coin in the Basque Country, the one-maravedi copper coin of the Kingdom of Navarre. Since these coins were of poor quality and had a long use, they do not show a clear pictorial text, but here is a specimen:

One Maravedi copper coin of Charles VII of Navarre (Charles IV of Spain) – 3.03 gr –1789 – Pamplona Mint

CAROLUS VII DG – NAVARRE REX 1789 PA

If we look at the other coins minted by the same king in other mints in his kingdom, we can clearly see that he had no desire for major innovations.

Silver eight reales of Charles IV of Spain – 27.15 gr – 1803 – Madrid Mint

CAROLUS IIII DEI G 1803 – HISPANIARUM REX 8R M FA

• Joseph Bonaparte I, King of Spain and the Indies Between 1808 and 1813. Napoleon's brother did not mint any coins in the Basque Country. As we will see in the section on the coat of arms of Navarre, he brought some innovations, but in terms of fundamental ideas... no great innovations. He used Latin on most of his coins and, since he did not have much legitimacy for power or the throne, he was rooted in the idea of gentry origin. A beautiful paradox... because a republican revolution spread a new monarchy throughout Europe.

Joseph Napoleon's silver 4 billion reales – 5.93gr – Madrid Mint 1810

JOSEPH NAP DEI GRATIA 1810 – HISPANIARUM ET IND REX 4R M AI

However, there is also an example that goes against the general rule of Latin usage during his reign. And this example will also show us the first historical use of the peseta. The name of the peseta, as it comes from Catalan, comes from the diminutive of the word piece (in Catalan, peÇa). However, this first use of the peseta was only the result of a few isolated events and it was not until 1868 that we would see the real birth and spread of the peseta. But as far as Spanish is concerned, these Barcelona coins are the first silver and gold coins minted in Spanish.

Silver coin from the time of Joseph Bonaparte – First Spanish coins minted in Barcelona – 1813

IN BARCELONA 5 PESETAS 1813

• Ferdinand VII, King of Spain and for some years King of the Indies. Called the Wishful, as Oscar Wilde said, “Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true.” King of Spain for a few days in 1808 and after the wars against Napoleon, between 1814 and 1833. Among those who stood up against Joseph Bonaparte and the French, he was a legitimate king and as a result we can find coinage in his name between 1808 and 1814 in American mints and in a few cities on the peninsula.

This coin was struck at the mint in Cadiz, the same year that the constitution that bears the same name was agreed upon. The new liberal constitution, yes, but the old coin models...

8 Silver Reales of 1812, approved by the liberal constitution of Cadiz – 26.89 gr – Mint of Cadiz

FERDIN VII DEI GRATIA 1812 – HISPANIARUM REX 8R CJ C

When the French golden captivity ended and he returned to Spain in 1814, Ferdinand VII immediately abolished the liberal constitution of Cadiz. The old regime was the only structure possible in Ferdinand's mind and as a result, the last coinage of the Kingdom of Navarre began in 1818, which would last until 1833. On these coins Ferdinand appears with the number III, which was his as King of Navarre. The texts are in Latin and the origin of power is purely divine.

3 Maravedi copper coin of Fernando III of Navarre (Fernando VII of Spain) – 6.25gr – Pamplona Mint

FERDINANDUS III DG NAVARRAE REX 3M – 1818 – CHRISTIAN RELIGION PP

But Fernando's absolutist rule was abruptly interrupted by the liberal uprising of General Riego on January 1, 1820. On March 10, Fernando was forced, against his will, to re-establish the Constitution of Cadiz and, in less than three years, a liberal government took power.

In this three-year period, and for the first time, we can see many changes in the coin designs. And the reflection of all these changes will be the reissued 10 reales minted at the temporary mint in Bilbao and seen in the previous section (link).

For the first time, and throughout the kingdom, the coins minted during this triennium will use Spanish in the iriditexts. Following the models seen during the French Revolution, we are facing the birth of the liberal nation-state. According to the ideas of the liberals, a unified nation-state, subject to the people and the constitution, should be incorporated in the future under the authority of the king. But the kingdom of Spain was not the French republic and we will verify this assertion through a couple of details.

First of all, Fernando's authority is not based solely on the constitution, the divine origin of authority is still very prominent in the iconotexts of the coins. The distinction between God and the state is still an area that needs to be worked out among us today.

Secondly, in the face of the Jacobin supremacy of France, Ferdinand is presented as the King of the Spains and not as “King of the Spaniards or of Spain”. We will have to wait until 1868 to see the word Spain, in the singular, on a coin. The idea of diversity is not new, but that of uniformity is much more recent.

10 silver billion reales of Fernando VII of Spain – 13.10 gr – Bilbao Mint – Liberal Triennial 1821 (actually minted in 1822) – Collection from Monaco

FERN 7° POR LA G. DE DIOS Y LA CONST. 1821 – REY DE LAS SPAIN U. Bo. G. RESELLADO 10 Rs

However, the liberal triennial will give us a couple of surprises in the other coin minted in the Basque Country. This other coin mentioned was minted in Pamplona in 1823 and has a remarkable history surrounding its creation and minting.

Towards the end of the liberal triennium, at the Congress of Verona at the end of 1822, the Holy Alliance sent an army to the Spanish territories and attempted to restore the absolutist power of Ferdinand VII. As a result, the army sent by France, designated the "100,000 sons of Saint Louis", crossed the Pyrenees around April and found the first moments of resistance in San Sebastian and Pamplona. For six months, the two Basque cities were besieged by French soldiers and their royalist allies. The defenses of San Sebastian were not in good condition, after the fire and looting of the city in 1813, but the fortifications of Pamplona were still strong and solid.

Protected by these fortifications, the garrison of the capital and a liberal battalion there held out, while the French troops and the Spanish absolutists gained control of most of the peninsula. Deeply entrenched in the siege, by the summer of 1823, they had already taken the bronze from some of the broken and unused cannons, melted them down, and worked on the coins that would be used as soldiers' pay in the Iruña fortress.

By breaking the charters of the Kingdom of Navarre, Fernando received the number seven, instead of the third that belonged to Navarre. The weights and values of the coins were Castilian (about 11 grams and 8 maravedis), instead of the Navarrese weight of 6 maravedis and 12 grams and a half.

But in this case, instead of the Spanish image texts of the liberal triennial, we see Latin again, with the exact same meaning as that shown on the Bilbao coin… FERDINANDUS VII DEI GRATIA ET CONSTITUTIO HISPANIARUM REX, that is, Ferdinand the seventh, by the grace of God and the constitution, king of Spain.

8 copper Marabedi of Ferdinand VII of Spain –10.83gr – Pamplona Mint – Liberal Triennial 1823 –

Pamplona, under siege by 100,000 sons of Saint Louis

FERDIN. VII. DG ET C. HISP REX 1823 P 8

It is clear that these liberal rulers and soldiers did not have the most suitable coin machines and tools at their disposal. Surely, they would have had to make molds for the coins made by casting using the patterns and tools they had around them. It is also clear that they did not pay attention to the characteristics of the identity and self-government of the territory in which they were located. The quality of the coins is poor, but their meaning is very significant… The identity of the Kingdom of Navarre will soon dissolve in the new Spanish nation-state.

On September 16, 1823, the liberal garrison of Pamplona surrendered and raised the white flag. This event was followed by another ten years of absolutist triumph until the death of Ferdinand VII in 1833.

Regarding coins, tradition once again prevailed, and the Pamplona mint enjoyed prosperous years after the death of Fernando until the first Carlist war. Between 1825-1826 and 1829-1833, the Pamplona mint produced a large number of half, one and three maravedi coins.

3 copper Marabeds of Fernando III of Navarre (Fernando VII of Spain) – approx. 5.76gr – Pamplona Mint

FERDINAND III DG 3 M – NAVARRAE REX 1833

But times were changing and in the midst of the first Carlist War, the Pamplona Mint saw the creation of the last coin it would produce throughout its long history. And now, liberal models were here to stay.

8 copper Marabeds of Isabella II of Spain – approx. 11.67 gr – Pamplona Mint

ISABEL 2ª FOR LA G. DE DIOS Y LA CONST. 1837 – QUEEN OF SPAIN 8M PP

Gone are the symbols of Navarre, the numerals of its kings and the Latin pictorial texts. From now on, all coins and images on the coins minted in the southern Basque Country will be in Spanish. Basque will not appear once on a coin minted by an official authority.

The Basque Government itself turned its back on Basque, in the pictorial texts on the peseta coins minted during the civil war... but this is a story for another section.

Two Nickel pesetas minted for the Basque Government at the Brussels Mint – 8 gr. Ni

GOVERNMENT OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY – 2 PESETAS 1937 – Engraver Armand Bonnetain

Bibliography:

El español en monedas y jetones – Miguel Ibañez Artica – link

The monetary reform of the liberal three-year period in Spain, 1820-1823: modernization and limits - Enrique Prieto Tejeiro, Dionisio de Haro Romero – 2012 – link

All personal data collected on this blog will only be used to disseminate the contents of this blog. Personal data will never be transferred or sold to third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the link in the footer of our emails.