PHILIP V

This magnificent item stands out among the exceptionally crafted pieces, which were used as adornments by the high society of the Viceroyalty. This coin was minted by assayer Félix Cristóbal Cano Melgarejo (M) in 1720, at the beginning of the viceroyalty of Trinitarian Diego Morcillo. Morcillo, then Archbishop of La Plata, was appointed interim viceroy after the government of Prince Santo Buono, serving from January 1720 to 1724. Upon his arrival in Lima, he was welcomed with a solemn thanksgiving mass. His first concern was to bolster defense against English pirates (1720-1721) operating along the Pacific coast during the ongoing conflict between King Philip V of Spain and England. He improved communications with La Plata and Potosí, and in 1720, banned illicit trade along Peru's shores and abolished the encomienda system, thereby freeing indigenous peoples from exploitation. As a reward for his services, he was appointed Archbishop of Lima (1723-1730).