Spanish Manuscript Document, Signed
signed
1610 · Aranda
by PHILIP III, King of Spain (1578-1621)
Aranda, 1610 Dated July 8, 1610. 12 1/8 x 7 7/8 inches. 1pp. Printed paper woodcut seal. Minor creases where folded. Right upper edge a bit rough, small split to one crease repaired with acid-free document repair tape, small light stain to portion of first two lines, but a fine example. As with all other Spanish royal signatures, Philip has signed "Yo el Rey" (I the King). With the words, "El Rey" at the top, this document grants permission to the town of Canical to withhold 20,000 Maravedis (coin of the time) from the sum it owes in taxes in order to settle a municipal debt. Includes 18 lines in brown ink in a miniscule script. Next to the King's signature is a mounted printed paper woodcut seal with the emblem of the College of Notaries of Madrid. Countersigned in a bold dark script, Jorge de Tovar. At the bottom are three lines by officials of the town of Canical acknowledging the permission granted. Philip III was King of Spain and King of Portugal from 1598 until his death. He inherited essentially a bankrupt nation with a disastrous economy. His father, Philip II, had drained Spain's resources with her wealth based on the silver mines of Latin America. Spain's internal economy was weak with little industry and a backward agriculture and large estates worked by peasants ruined by excessive taxation. This document is typical of the economic weakness of Spain, with the town of Canical requiring monetary help. An attractive official document with bold signatures.. (Inventory #: 8272)