La moneda en Castilla y León (1265-1284). Alfonso X, un adelantado a su tiempo

One of the most relevant measures of the reign of Alfonso X was his decisive intervention in monetary policy as a means to finance his political objectives and personal ambitions. By focussing on numismatic analysis and documentary criticism, a course can be drawn from the initial circulation of his first currency, the vellón, in 1265 to the frustrated emission that was to have taken place in 1281. In this interval, Alfonso X is increasingly overwhelmed by his financial needs and therefore is more daring in launching new monetary strategies. His subjects bore the brunt of these measures without understanding their economic repercussions, although at the end of this period they were eventually made aware of the mechanism behind the continuous changes on the official value of the maravedí. By then there was no remedy for the loss of their wealth and the instability in their economic activities.Uno de los hechos más relevantes del reinado de Alfonso X fue su decidida intervención en la política monetaria como medio para financiar sus objetivos políticos y ambiciones personales. A partir del análisis numismático y de la crítica documental se ha trazado un recorrido desde la puesta en circulación de su primera moneda de vellón en 1265 hasta la frustrada emisión que tenía que haber circulado desde 1281. En este intervalo se aprecia a Alfonso X cada vez más agobiado por sus necesidades financieras y por ello más atrevido en la implementación de nuevas estrategias monetarias. Sus súbditos de limitaron a padecerlas sin llegar a comprender sus repercusiones económicas y solo al final del período estudiado percibieron el mecanismo que se ocultaba tras los continuos cambios de valor del maravedí de cuenta. Para entonces ya no existía remedio para el quebranto de sus patrimonios y la inestabilidad en sus actividades económicas.AbstractOne of the most relevant measures of the reign of Alfonso X was his decisive intervention in monetary policy as a means to finance his political objectives and personal ambitions. By focussing on numismatic analysis and documentary criticism, a course can be drawn from the initial circulation of his first currency, the vellón, in 1265 to the frustrated emission that was to have taken place in 1281. In this interval, Alfonso X is increasingly overwhelmed by his financial needs and therefore is more daring in launching new monetary strategies. His subjects bore the brunt of these measures without understanding their economic repercussions, although at the end of this period they were eventually made aware of the mechanism behind the continuous changes on the official value of the maravedí. By then there was no remedy for the loss of their wealth and the instability in their economic activities