Sometimes history seems to be lost or obscured from the general public. Coins are artifacts that can provide a glimpse of this history and open it up for discovery to those who pay attention. One such coin is an artifact to a lost colony of Spain.
Reconquita ended in 1492 with the capture of Granada, freeing Spain from Muslim rule. Now under Christian control, securing and protecting Spain from threats -- especially those from North Africa, where Ottoman Empire Barbary corsairs attacked European ships. A royal expedition, privately funded, was used to capture the city of Oran and other nearby territories, and the city fell to the Spanish in 1509. Oran, today situated in Algeria, would be held by the Spanish for over 250 years. The city became a key port for trade in the Mediterranean and would be used to prevent piracy on Spanish ships.
While Spanish ambition and resources quickly changed to the New World, the city remained under Spanish control. When it came to money used in Oran, Spanish currency didn't circulate well due to its high value in comparison to other North African and Ottoman counterparts. Along with the city's isolation a special currency was produced for the Oran. Under the decree of Philip III, coins denominated in two, four, and eight maravedis were minted in Toledo Spain, hammered like a cob, but made in copper. Featuring the crowned arms of Castile and Leon with the "T" mintmark left and the value right, the coins were unique featuring a reverse lettering of "ORAN" for the city of export. The coins were produced for a single year, 1618. The coins were used for garrison pay and would circulate locally for many years. In 1691 Charles II would issue four and eight maravedis coins minted by Madrid. These two coins would be the last Spanish colonial Oran issues of coinage.
In 1708, the Ottoman Empire was successful in retaking Oran from the Spanish, but that lasted only until 1732, when Spain retook the city. In 1792, Spain lost the city permanently to the Ottoman Empire. Today, the coins remain a historical artifact of when the Spanish had a colony in what is today Algeria.