THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COLLECTOR SERIES
which the country from time to time underwent, until
the final union under Charles V. (rather than under Fer-
dinand and Isabella), if it did not reduce the currency
to a uniform standard and type, placed it on a more
national footing. Rut long subsequently to the accession
of the House of Arragon the various provinces and tow qs
of Spain retained, as elsewhere, the right of coinage
an extensive catalogue of localities occurs in Hazlitfs
" List of Mints "" Avhere money was struck indepen-
dently of the crown, and down to the present century
some of the outlying portions of the kingdom preserved
the memory and recognition of their former numismatic
autonomy in special types and legends sanctioned by
the central authority. From the remotest times the
output of urban currencies must have been very large.
M. Heiss enters at much greater length, of course,
than in a general survey of the present kind is possible,
into the political distribution of the Peninsula among
different classes of townships and other local govern-
ments, accounting for the extensive numismatic remains
of various characters which have descended to us in
connection with this region. It is evident that the
Greek and Roman influence survived here much longer
than in France, and that, even when it became feebler
and fainter, the inhabitants of Spain, instead of receiv-
ing lessons from the Western and Northern invaders and
civilisers of the Gaulish territory, fell in this as in other
respects under the sway of the powerful African element,
which so largely contributed to promote their national
culture.
148
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