Coins and medals

In Sicily Ferdinand II the Catholic minted a large number of issues, as well as introducing new monetary values, like the tarin. The obverse of the first issues, to which this piece belongs, shows a crowned shield with the arms of Castile, León, Catalonia-Aragon and Sicily. This shield was an important new development as up to then the Sicilian issues had borne only the traditional royal bars. Later on, the shield on the obverse was replaced by the bust of the king, crowned and shown in profile according to a design of Renaissance influence. The reverses always showed the traditional Sicilian eagle, crowned and with spread wings. The legends present many variations but, basically, they proclaimed Ferdinand, by the grace of God, king of Castile, Sicily and Aragon.