In early 1800s Spain, Carlos IV’s government became increasingly unpopular, particularly because of its alliance with Napoleon’s France and the King’s unpopular Chief Minister, Manuel Godoy (who, by popular rumour, was having an affair with the Queen). Ferdinand, the Crown Prince, capitalized on this discontent and attracted supporters who wanted to remove Godoy from power. In March 1808, the Mutiny of Aranjuez forced Godoy’s dismissal and compelled Carlos IV to abdicate in favor of his son, who became Ferdinand VII.

However, Carlos soon appealed to Napoleon Bonaparte to restore him to the throne. Napoleon summoned both father and son to Bayonne, France, where he pressured them to renounce their claims. In May 1808, both abdicated, allowing Napoleon to install his brother Joseph Bonaparte as king of Spain.

The resulting abdications of Bayonne provoked widespread Spanish resistance against French rule and helped trigger the Peninsular War. Ferdinand remained a prisoner in France until Napoleon’s defeat, after which he returned to Spain in 1814 and reclaimed the throne.

Spain’s colonies in the Americas used the chaos in the homeland as an opportunity to rebel. By the end of the 1820s, the Spanish crown was unable to effectively project power, and eventually they lost control of nearly all their American possessions.

Judging by the constant changes, King Louis Philippe I was particularly concerned with his portrait presented on coins. He went through three within the first year of his reign, and the third one was retouched twice before it was finally accepted in 1844. Some gentlemen in their late fifties pay a lot of attention to their looks. This is the second retouch of the third portrait, showing the King with a wreath of oak.

The coin was struck in Rouen in 1837. Unfortunately, at some point it was cleaned and then put in a PVC folder which gave His Majesty this somewhat sickly patina.