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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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