Spanish Age of Discovery Collection, Coins of Philip II, III, & IV

The Spanish Empire was the first truly global empire, stretching across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, and connected by trade routes that circled the globe. It brought immense wealth to Spain through silver and gold from the New World, while also shaping world history through exploration, colonization, cultural exchange, and conflict.

This set brings together three Habsburg dynasty monarchs from Spain’s Golden Age of power and exploration: Philip II (1556–1598), Philip III (1598–1621), and Philip IV (1621–1665). Under Philip II, Spain reached the height of its influence, ruling vast territories across Europe and the New World while overseeing the first truly global empire. His son, Philip III, presided over a more peaceful but financially strained kingdom, marked by court intrigue and costly overseas commitments. Philip IV inherited this declining empire, remembered both for his patronage of great artists like Velázquez and for the wars that eroded Spain’s dominance in Europe. Together, these coins reflect the arc of Spain’s power in the 16th and 17th centuries, from its peak under Philip II to the gradual weakening of its empire under his successors.

This collection includes the following coins:

• Spain, King Philip II, 1 blanca (low grade silver), 1556 - 1598 CE
  • Obverse: Crowned monogram in beaded circle. Mintmark chalice and privy mark at left or right.
  • Reverse: Castle in beaded circle. Mintmark and privy mark at left or right.
• Spain, King Philip III, 2 maravedis (copper), 1602 - 1619 CE
  • Obverse: PHILIPPVS III D G - Castle within circle
  • Reverse:  HISPANIARVM REX - Lion within circle
• Spain, King Philip IV, 8 or 16 maravedis (copper), 1621 - 1664 CE 
  • Obverse: PHILIPPVS IIII D G - Portrait of Philip IV
  • Reverse: HISPANIARUM REX - Crowned shield between initial and value

Each collection comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.