Spain 2 and 4 Maravedis Countermarked 12 Maravedis 1598 to 1602

You are not the first person to have misread that date, Alfonso! The actual date is 1599 on your coin, not 1499. The numeral '5' on these old Spanish cob coins looks quite differently from the modern '5' as used in a computer font. With the name 'Philippus' on the coin, it has to be one of his 'Omnivm'-maravedis struck for a few years around 1600.

The XII punch, 12 in Roman numerals, is a countermark applied to the coin after minting. The coin was countermarked during the reign of Philip IV, where inflation had deprecated the value of the maravedis so much that a coin worth 4 maravedis in 1599 was now worth 12 maravedis. The XII countermark of Philip IV is known from 1636 and 1641-42.

worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $40
well preserved: $80

In addition to the general wear, the value of these coins is also determined by the legibility of the countermarks and the sharpness of the strike. A strong date and legible inscriptions also help to increase value. Bent, holed, corroded or otherwise severely damaged coins will be worth a couple dollars at most.

Please see our Important Terminology page found at the top left in order to properly interpret these catalog values.
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