20 September 2018
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Find out more about this intriguing Roman coin in our latest 'junk box gem' guide
By the time it gets to a junk box, this type of coin doesn’t usually have much legend left, but you’ll get to recognise the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1506-55).
This is actually a low-value copper courte, with a rampant lion on the reverse; it should read ‘CA DG V HISP REX 49 - ‘Charles V by the grace of God king of Spain 49’.
The 49 is the date, of course it was obvious (at the time) that it must mean 1549. Just after the 49 there is a little hand in the legend, the sign of the mint of Antwerp; it can be considered as a coin of Brabant; many are for Flanders, none are for Spain as a different coinage system operated there.
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