Alfonso XII 5 Pesetas

The Alfonso XII 5 Pesetas coin was the first Spanish silver piece to prominently feature the king's portrait without the traditional heraldic shield, reflecting a shift toward more personal royal imagery during the restoration.

Struck in .903 fine silver at the Madrid mint, these coins weighed around 25 grams and measured 38 millimeters across. They circulated widely from 1875 to 1885, helping stabilize the economy after years of upheaval. Designs varied slightly by year, with the obverse showing Alfonso XII's bust and the reverse depicting the Spanish coat of arms.

Exact mintage figures are murky; records from that era often went up in smoke during bureaucratic reshuffles. I've handled hundreds of these over the decades, and let me tell you, they're sturdier than the politics of the time.

Proof variants exist for a few years, but identifying them requires a keen eye and a loupe, not wishful thinking.