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Lot 3906
Netherlands - Gelderland. Gold Real d'or, ND (1557-1560 issue). Fr-75. Philip II of Spain, 1555-1576. English titles. Crowned head of Philip facing right. Legend reads: King of Spain and England. Reverse: Crowned shield containing the arms of the House of Hapsburg. This is a nicely struck example of a rare coin, with an abundance of original luster. Seldom ever now seen in top grade, this coin is fully round, on a good flan. Strong links with the English hammered gold series gives the coin broad appeal. NGC graded AU-58.
** Philip II was King of Spain from 1556-1598, King of England (co-regent with Mary I) from 1554-1558, King of Portugal and the Algarves (as Philip I) from 1580 until 1598 and King of Chile from 1554-1556.
Philip's first marriage in 1543 was to his cousin Princess Maria of Portugal, but she died shortly after giving birth to a son, Don Carlos. Later, Philip sought an alliance with England and married the Catholic Queen Mary I in 1554. Under the terms of the marriage, Philip became King Consort during the lifetime of his spouse. Philip succeeded to the throne of Spain on the abdication of his father in 1556. Two years later, mary died childless.
During Philip's reign the Philippine Islands were conquered and named after him, and a North American colony was established in Florida. But his reign was troubled by financial instability and threatened by Muslim invasion, and other costly conflicts such as wars with england (where his Armada was defeated in 1588) and France.
In the 17 provinces of the Netherlands, Philip II continued a policy of heavy taxation, and following the 1566 Calvinst revolt he set out to stamp out 'treason' and 'heresy'. Soon he introduced a new sales tax of roughly 10% and the situation worsened. The region fell into open revolt, led by William the Silent of the House of Orange, but the uprising was brutally crushed by the Duke of Alba who condemned thousands to death and confiscated lands. Eventually, after the Pacification of Ghent in 1576 many of the Spanish troops mutinied and the seven northern provinces (the United Provinces) eventually declared their independence from the King of Spain. From 1590 until his death in 1598 Philip was again at war with the French King Henry IV.
Under Philip II of Spain reached the peak of its power but it also met its limits. Having nearly reconquered the rebellious Netherlands, Philip's intolerance led to their permanent loss. The strain of fighting on so many expensive fronts meant that the King was unable to spend sufficient time and mony to subdue the fiercely independent Dutch.
Estimated Value $3,500 - 4,000.
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| Realized $4,370 |
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