FERNANDO VI

The Madrid onzas three portraits. The Madrid mint, despite being the capital of the monarchy, was not at its best during the reigns of the first Bourbons due to structural and operational deficiencies. The 1728 reform introduced the portrait on gold coinage, but Madrid struck very few onzas with this new type (1728, 1729, 1730), which quickly earned the nickname peluconas due to the monarch’s voluminous wig. The accession of Ferdinand VI did little to improve the situation, and onzas were struck at Madrid in only three years—1747, 1749, and 1750—with the remarkable peculiarity that each issue featured a different portrait of the king. In 1747, the onza bears what is known as the first monetary portrait of the monarch, crafted by Diego de Cosá, chief engraver of the Madrid Mint. This design also introduced a new Latin motto on the reverse, NOMINA MAGNA SEQUOR, and altered the heraldic arrangement, placing the cross of the French Order of the Holy Spirit beneath the fleece of the Collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. This extremely rare 1747 issue, notable for its rosetted edge, is distinguished by bearing only a single assayer’s initial—J, for José Tramullas y Ferrer.
For some unknown reason, a second monetary portrait of the king was commissioned. This time, the design was entrusted to Francisco Sáez, a native of Cuenca and personal servant to Queen Barbara of Portugal, who was not part of the official staff of the Royal Mint. In fact, Sáez was originally a silversmith who had served Queen Elisabeth Farnese since 1738, first as a jewellery silversmith and later as a royal silversmith. Eventually promoted to the position of personal servant, he was chosen by the new queen to design the new portrait of Ferdinand VI. The resulting portrait closely resembled the previous one but was noticeably more elaborate and baroque. The project caused considerable stir, as the creation of monetary portraits was traditionally reserved for the chief engraver of the Madrid Mint, a position that had just been assumed in 1748 by Tomás Francisco Prieto. As such, the design was by Sáez, but the dies were engraved by Prieto, who implemented the specific features of the portrait—most notably the leather epaulettes and the expanded chest area of the monarch, who wears a mantle, the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and the sash of the Order of the Holy Spirit. This second portrait appears exclusively on the Madrid onzas of 1749 and is highly prized for its historical background.
The history of the second monetary portrait of Ferdinand VI is the briefest of all that we know, as immediately after its creation, preparations began for a new model, which would become the third monetary portrait. This time, the design followed the customary tradition, with the task being entrusted to the chief engraver, Tomás Francisco Prieto, who simplified the previous year’s portrait. The king wears full armour again, discarding the leather epaulettes, and the volume of his chest is significantly reduced, with the same symbols as in the previous versions appearing. In Madrid, this portrait was used exclusively for the 1750 pieces, making it quite rare. These two last issues feature two assayer initials (JB, José Tramullas and Bernardo Muñoz de Amador) on the onzas. No further onzas were struck in Madrid during the rest of the reign, so there were only three emissions, each with a different portrait, making it extremely difficult to own an example of each.