1544–1564 Dominican Republic 4 Maravedis – Santo Domingo Mint (Charles & Joanna)
Item Overview
An extraordinary piece of early American numismatic history! Struck at the Santo Domingo Mint in Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic) during the joint reign of King Charles I and Queen Joanna ("Charles & Joanna"), this copper 4 Maravedis represents the first bronze coinage produced in the New World.
Santo Domingo copper issues from this era are significantly scarcer than silver issues from Mexico City. This example features strong residual detail for the grade, displaying the iconic IIII (4 Maravedis) denomination mark, the F assayer mark (attributed to Francisco Rodríguez), and the historic S-P mintmark for Santo Domingo.
Specifications
| Attribute | Details |
| Origin / Issuer | Spanish Colonial / Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) |
| Rulers | Charles I & Joanna ("Carlos y Juana") |
| Date Range | Circa 1544–1564 (Undated issue) |
| Denomination | 4 Maravedis (IIII) |
| Metal | Copper / Bronze |
| Mintmark | S-P (Santo Domingo) |
| Assayer | F (Francisco Rodríguez) |
| Grade / Condition | VF Details – Corrosion (Strong Very Fine detail present with typical environmental copper corrosion/porosity consistent with soil recovery in the Caribbean) |
Historical Context
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The First Mint in the Americas: Operating decades before British colonization in North America, the Santo Domingo mint supplied small-change copper coinage essential for early colonial commerce across the Caribbean.
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Reign of Charles & Joanna: Issued under the Spanish crown during the pivotal expansion era of the 16th century.
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Condition Note: Due to the tropical environment of the West Indies, the vast majority of surviving copper maravedis exhibit environmental aging or corrosion. This piece retains crisp design elements (VF Details) despite typical copper oxidation.
