Spanish Gold of Philip III

Philip IV was King of Spain, Naples, and Sicily from 1621 until 1665, and Philip III, King of Portugal from 1621 until 1640. He was the son and successor of Philip III of Spain. Philip IV was intelligent but lacked interest in the affairs of state, which were handled by the Conde de Olivares. During his reign, Spain continued to decline politically and economically. Philip's daughter, Marie, was married to Louis XIV of France. Thanks to the presence of the painter, Velazquez, at his court, Philip was probably one of the most frequently portrayed monarchs in history. He was also a patron of Rubens and Cano and was largely responsible for building up the royal collection of paintings and fine art, which later became the basis of the Prado Museum. Calderon de la Barca and Tirso de Molina continued the great tradition of Spanish drama during his reign. Philip was succeeded by his son, Charles II. Spanish Conquistadores and Missionaries flocked to the Americas in search of wealth or in hopes of spreading the Gospel in the New World. Most of the mineral wealth they could gather was melted and struck as coins, loaded onto ships, and sent across the Atlantic ocean to the King of Spain. Because of the haste from mine to mint, to shipping, and the crudity of the technology of the times, the detail of the coins is rarely clear.