A gold coin of the Spanish king was sold at auction for $3.5 million

Spanish gold coin with a face value of 100 escudos, minted in 1609, was sold at an auction in Geneva for $3.5 million.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to TASS, this is the most expensive coin lot ever sold at European auctions. The weight of the item - 339 grams - made it the largest gold coin of the 17th century and a symbol of the Spanish crown's power.

The coin was made in Segovia from American gold by order of King Philip III; it was never used in circulation. Its surface features the coats of arms of all lands under Habsburg rule, including Castile, Leon, Aragon, and Portugal. Between 1614 and 1620, several more similar specimens were issued.