FERDINAND VI

After ascending to the throne, Ferdinand VI pursued a policy of peace. He ended the Italian wars that benefited the interests of his half-brothers through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) and supported ministers favouring alliances with either France (Ensenada) or England (Carvajal) in their diplomatic endeavours. In January 1750, the Treaty of Madrid was signed, putting the border conflict in America to an end. Portugal ceded the Colonia del Sacramento to Spain in exchange for territories in present-day Brazil. The king avoided involvement in several European wars and focused on commercial development. He ordered the arrest of gypsies (1749), banned Freemasonry (1751), and established the Giro Real Bank (1752), among other initiatives. During this period, the Madrid Mint consistently produced half-escudo coins each year but minted onzas only in three specific years. The piece presented here belongs to the last issue of onzas from the Madrid Mint during his reign.