Maravedí of Alfonso IX of León Obverse

Until the mid-12th century, the prestigious Islamic issues ensured the circulation of gold currency in the different Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. However, in times of conflict the flow of Islamic coins was disrupted, forcing monarchs to coin their own gold pieces. Maravedís were the first gold coins to be struck systematically in Christian territories.
From the beginning, Leonese maravedís featured Christian designs, as we can see on this magnificent piece issued by Alfonso IX. On the obverse, we find the name, title (Rex) and schematic bust of the monarch, a representative image of royal power reinforced by symbols of sovereignty like the sword and what may be a sceptre. On the reverse, a religious legend alludes to the divine source of his authority; and beneath the lion, the kingdom’s heraldic emblem, is the mint mark: the Roman bridge over the River Tormes in Salamanca.
These pieces were only used for large commercial transactions and as diplomatic gifts. After the king’s death, no more gold maravedís were minted.