Real Spanyol

Real (bentuk jamak reales, "dari kerajaan" dalam bahasa Spanyol) dulu adalah mata uang Spanyol selama berabad-abad mulai pertengahan abad ke-14, namun nilai tukarnya terhadap mata uang lain berubah di sepanjang masa. Tahun 1864, real diganti dengan escudo Spanyol baru. Tahun 1868 diganti dengan peseta, saat 1 real bernilai 1/4 peseta'.

Real perak tahun 1768

Di Indonesia di abad ke-17, real adalah mata uang yang paling digunakan oleh Kesultanan Mataram.

Sejarah

Reverse of Pillar Real

Real pertama diciptakan raja Pedro I dari Castilla dengan nilai 3 maravedí. Nilai tukar ini naik terus sampai tahun 1497, saat real ditentukan dengan nilai 34 maravedí. Yang disebut Peso de Ocho ("potongan bernilai delapan", atau 1 peso perak dengan nilai 8 real), juga dikenal dengan nama dollar Spanyol, diciptakan tahun yang sama, dan kemudian tersebar luas di Amerika dan Asia. Tahun 1566, escudo emas Spanyol diciptakan, dengan nilai 16 real. Pieza de ocho atau "keping bernilai delapan" adalah kepingan perak berbobot satu ons, yang berbeda dari kepingan yang lebih kecil : 4 real, 2 real, 1 real dan the 1/2 yang kecil (dengan garis tengah 1/2 inch).

Selama abad ke-16, mata uang Spanyol menjadi popular dalam perdagangan internasional untuk berabad-abad.

Abad ke-17

In 1642, two distinct reales were created, the real de plata (made of silver) and the real de vellón (made of Billon, or "less than half silver"). The exchange rate between these two coins was set at 2 reales de vellón = 1 real de plata. The maravedí was tied to the real de vellón, causing the real de plata to be worth 68 maravedíes. The gold escudo was worth 16 reales de plata.

18th century

Obverse of a 1799 Real

The real de plata fuerte was introduced in 1737 at a value of 2½ reales de vellón or 85 maravedíes. This real was the standard, issued as coins until the early 19th century. The gold escudo was worth 16 reales de plata fuerte.

19th century

In 1808, coins were introduced denominated in real de vellón. These coins circulated alongside real de plata fuerte and escudo coins until decimalization. Coins denominated in reales de plata were minted until 1837, whilst maravedí coins were issued until 1850.

Decimalization

The real de vellón, now just called the real, was adopted as the chief unit in Spain's first decimal currency, introduced in 1850. To begin with, subsidiary pieces were issued denominated in decima de real (tenths of a real). Later they were denominated in céntimo de real (hundredths of a real). The real replaced the Catalan peseta in 1850, at a rate of 1 peseta = 4 reales.

In 1864, the real was replaced by a new escudo worth 10 reales (i.e., not equivalent to the earlier escudo). This second escudo was itself replaced in 1868 by the peseta at a rate of 1 peseta = 0.4 escudos = 4 reales. Consequently, the term real lived on, meaning a quarter of a peseta.

Coins

Predecimal

In the 18th century, coins were issued in copper for 1, 2, 4 and 8 maravedíes, in silver for ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 reales and in gold for ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 escudos. The silver 8 reales coins was known as the Spanish dollar or peso (the famous "piece of eight"). Spanish dollars minted between 1732 and 1773 are also often referred to as columnarios. The portrait variety from 1772 and later are typically referred to as Spanish dollars or Pillar Dollars. There was also a denomination known as the peso sencillo worth 6 reales.

From 1808, coins were issued in denominations of 1, 2, 4, 10, 20, 80, 160 and 320 reales de vellón. The higher denominations were equivalent to 4 and 8 reales de plata fuerte and 2, 4 and 8 escudos.

Decimal

Copper coins were issued for ½, 1 and 2 decima de real and ½ real, with silver 1, 2, 4, 10 and 20 reales and gold 20, 40 and 100 reales. The new denominations were introduced between 1850 and 1853. In 1854, copper 5, 10 and 25 céntimos de reales were introduced.

Pranala luar

• Coins from Guadalajara, Jalisco. Mexico (1812 - 2006) (gdlcoins.com)
• The Colonial Coinage of Spanish America: An introduction by Daniel Frank Sedwick