1 Grana Italy Copper

1699, Kingdom of Sicily, Charles II of Spain. Scarce Copper Grano Coin.

Mint Year: 1699 Reference: KM-71. Denomination: Grano State: Kingdom of Sicily Assayer: Regia Corte (RC) Material: Copper Diameter: 23mm Weight: 5,3gm

Obverse: Crowned heraldic eagle of Sicily left. Mint master´s initials (R-C - the 2nd letter re-engraved from “R”!) in fields. Legend: * CAROLVS . II . DEI . GRA TIA

Reverse: Inscription (FE/LICI/TAS) above date (1699). All within baroque frame. Legend: REX * SI CILIAE

Charles II (Spanish: Carlos II) (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700) was the last Habsburg ruler of Spain. His realm included Southern Netherlands and Spain’s overseas empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies. Known as “the Bewitched” (Spanish: el Hechizado), he is noted for his extensive physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities-along with his consequent ineffectual rule.

He died in 1700 childless and heirless, and all potential Habsburg successors had predeceased him. In his will, Charles named as his successor his 16-year old grand-nephew, Philip, Duke of Anjou grandson of Charles' half-sister Maria Theresa of Spain, the first wife of Louis XIV (and thus grandson of the reigning French king Louis XIV). Because the other European powers viewed the prospective dynastic relationship between France and Spain as disturbing the balance of power in Europe, the War of the Spanish Succession ensued.