Lion facing left within square, LE GI ON IS // CASTELLE, Castle within square. Uncertain mint name around. 15mm, 0.53 grams. Numista 68238; AB#282ff.

Alfonso X of Castile, known as Alfonso the Wise (Alfonso el Sabio), reigned from 1252 to 1284 and is remembered as one of medieval Spain’s most enlightened and scholarly monarchs. While he faced political difficulties—including noble rebellions and a failed bid for the Holy Roman Emperor’s throne—his greatest legacy lies in law, science, and culture. Alfonso sponsored translations of Arabic and Latin texts into Castilian, helping establish it as a scholarly and administrative language. He commissioned the Siete Partidas, a comprehensive legal code that influenced Spanish law for centuries, and promoted astronomy, history, and literature, producing works such as the Cantigas de Santa Maria. Despite his cultural achievements, his reign was troubled by internal dissent and a contested succession. Nonetheless, Alfonso X left an enduring impact on Iberian intellectual and legal traditions.