ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COLONIES OF SIERRA MORENA

PRIETO, Tomas Francisco / GIL, Geronimo Antonio: Spain, 1774, Bronze, 56 mm
Obv: Bust of Charles III    CARLOVS . III. PATER PATRIAE.
Rev: Athens with goddesses; agrarian scene in background    INDVSTRIA. ET. AGRORVM. CVLTV. VBIQVE. PROPAGATIS.
Exergue:  COLONIAE. GEMELLAE. AD MARIANOS. MONTES ET BAETICAM.   MDCCLXXIV
Signed:  T. PRIETO / GIL F.
Ref: Forrer, vol VII, Suppl., p. 358.

Charles III (1716-1788), King of Spain (1759-1788) and of Naples and Sicily (1735-1759) was the son of Philip V and Elizabeth Farnese. In 1734 he conquered Naples and Sicily. Charles was an "enlightened despot". He encouraged commercial and agrarian reform, and brought the Spanish Catholic church under state control, expelling the Jesuits in 1767. He allied with France in the Seven Year's War (1756-1763) against Britain where he lost Florida but gained Louisiana. (O'Brien)
The Sierra Morena is an area in southern Spain, so called because of the long dark line of the southern scarp of the Meseta as seen from the Andalusian plain. The great breadth of the Sierra Morena long rendered it a formidable barrier between Andalusia and the north; as such it has played an important part in the social, economic and military history of Spain. Parts of the Sierra Morena are rich in minerals, including silver, mercury, lead and copper.

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