Spanish SILVER coin 8 REALES, MEXICO MINT, SPAIN COLONIAL, Carolus III 1780

Description

LARGE SILVER 8 REALES 1780 MEXICO MINT, SPAIN COLONIAL, Carolus III 1780
Diameter: 39 mm
Weight: 26.61 g
Charles III
(
Spanish
:
Carlos
;
Italian
:
Carlo
; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was the
King of Spain
and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788.
He was the fifth son of
Philip V of Spain
, but eldest by his second wife,
Elisabeth Farnese
. In 1731, the 15-year-old Charles became the
Duke of Parma and Piacenza
, as
Charles I
, on the death of his childless granduncle
Antonio Farnese
.
In 1734, as Duke of Parma, he
conquered the kingdoms
of
Naples
and of
Sicily
, and was crowned king on 3 July 1735, reigning as
Charles VII of Naples
and
Charles V of Sicily
.
In 1738 he married Princess
Maria Amalia of Saxony
, an educated, cultured woman who gave birth to 13 children, eight of whom reached adulthood.
Charles and Maria Amalia resided in
Naples
for 19 years; she died in 1760.
Upon succeeding to the Spanish throne on 10 August 1759, Charles, a proponent of
enlightened absolutism
, on 6 October 1759 abdicated the Neapolitan and Sicilian thrones in favour of Ferdinand, his third surviving son, who became
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
.
As king of Spain Charles III tried to rescue his empire from decay through far-reaching reforms such as weakening the Church and its monasteries, promoting science and university research, facilitating trade and commerce, modernizing agriculture and avoiding wars.
He never achieved satisfactory control over finances, and was obliged to borrow to meet expenses.
His reforms proved short-lived and Spain relapsed after his death, but his legacy lives on to this day.
Historian Stanley Payne states Charles III:
"was probably the most successful European ruler of his generation. He had provided firm, consistent, intelligent leadership. He had chosen capable ministers....[his] personal life had won the respect of the people."