The Centén Segoviano is not just a coin; it is a metaphor for the talent, technique and beauty that made Segovia a world reference. At our museum, we work to keep this history alive and accessible to everyone.
Under the eternal gaze of the Alcázar and next to the murmur of the River Eresma, the Museum of the Royal Mint of Segovia holds a secret that shines like few others: the Segovian Centén, one of the most beautiful, rare and valuable coins in universal history, an authentic, unique and genuine coin, a symbol of a time, of ingenuity and of a city that was a pioneer in the history of modern coinage.
A COIN BORN OF SEGOVIAN INGENIO
The Centén Segoviano was first minted at the Real Ingenio de la Moneda in 1609 and again in 1623. It represents the technical and artistic culmination of the Segovian Mint. Made of 22-carat gold and weighing over 300 grams, it was the most valuable coin ever produced in the Spanish Empire.
They were produced at the Ingenio Chico, the hydraulic mint built by Philip II in 1583 on the banks of the Eresma River. This building, now considered one of the oldest industrial factories in Europe, introduced mechanised coinage using rollers powered by water, almost two centuries ahead of the industrial revolution, a true precursor of its time.
The Centén was not a commonly used coin. It was a masterpiece, a demonstration of power and technical skill, with a large flor-de-lis cross or Jerusalem cross on the reverse and a large, detailed royal coat of arms crowned on the obverse. Each coin is a unique numismatic gem, of which less than a dozen are known to exist worldwide.
THE SOUL OF A CITY: HISTORY AND MEMORY
The Royal Mint was more than just a factory. It was the technological heart of Spain's Golden Age, the place where the monarchy turned art into metal and metal into history. From Segovia, a production model was exported that inspired the whole of Europe.
Today, visitors to the Museum of the Royal Mint, owned by the municipality, not only contemplate an architectural gem of the Golden Age, but also the place where one of the most fascinating technical feats in monetary history was born.
Each centavo minted on these presses represents the perfect union between art, engineering and power, a legacy that still amazes historians, numismatists and heritage lovers.