Ferdinand VII Coin Cuff Links

Ferdinand VII was King of Spain in 1808 and again from 1814 until 1833, and was the son of Charles IV. He encountered political problems before he even became king, when he opposed the powerful Spanish Minister Manuel de Godoy who tried to force him to marry a daughter of the late Louis XVI of France.

His father sided with Godoy creating a national crisis which led to Charles’ abdication, and a brief stint on the throne for Ferdinand. Napoleon stepped in to invade Spain, reclaimed the throne for Charles, and imprisoned Ferdinand until 1814. After the Peninsular War, Napoleon realized that Spain was lost to him and he released Ferdinand, who reascended the throne in 1814.

Ferdinand ruled for almost 20 years, however the world political climate was changing, spains’ along with it and the empire never returned to its former glory. This lovely coin is a beautiful reminder of that glory.