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Kingdom of Sardinia
Charles V inherited Sardinia from his grandfather Ferdinand, the Catholic. Sardinia had become a kingdom in 1239under emperor Friedrich II. Since the early 14th century, the House of Aragon had extended and consolidated its reign on the island. Sardinia was ruled by a viceroy.
When Charles V started his campaign against pirate Khayr Ad-Din Barbarossa in June of 1535, he set off from Cagliari on Sardinia with a fleet of 400 ships and 30,000 soldiers. He succeeded in putting the pirate to flight from Tunis. Charles V and his fleet touched on Sardinia again in 1541, this time with the intention of wiping out the Osman strong hold in Algier. However, he had set off too late in the year and the autumn storms defeated his plans.


3 Reali n. d., Cagliari.   Ø 33 mm, 8,04 g.   CNI II p.445 n.7; MIR 30.
Obv.:  CAROLVS·V·IMP·R·SARDINIE
crowned bearded bust to the right, three annulets at the neck.
Rev.:   *INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIONE
"His enemies I shall clothe with shame." (so about David in Psalm 132,18 and here about the king).
Lily cross charged with another cross, all framed in a quatrefoil with lilies at the spikes.


3 Reali o.J., Cagliari.   Ø 33 mm, 8,28 g.   MIR 29.
Similar to the previous one.


2 Reali n. d., Cagliari.   Ø 31 mm, 5,70 g.   CNI II p.446 n.12var; MIR 31.
Obv.:   ¤ CAROL·V:INP⁖REX⁖ARAG:SARDNI    ¤ = rosette
crowned bust to the right, two annulets at the left (indication for the value of the coin?).
Double strikes at 2 h (legend) and 11 h (inner cercle) and profile contour.
Rev.:   ¤ INIMICOS·EIVS·INDVAM·CONFVSIOne   as before.
Maltese like cross in a quatrefoil with lilies at the spikes.


Reale n. d., Cagliari   Ø 25 mm, 2,82 g.   CNI II, p.447 n.19; MIR 33.
Obv.:   ¤CAROLVS.IMP.V.R.SARDINIE   -   crowned bust to the left.
Rev.:   ¤INIMICOS EIVS INDVAM CONFVSIOne
A taler-like coin of 10 Reali (Ø 41mm, 28 g) was first minted in Philipp II reign.

Cagliarese, Cagliari.   base alloy, Ø 17 mm, 0,61 g.   CNI II p.447 n.24?; MIR 36.
Cagliarese are named after Cagliari, where their coinage started some decades earlier.
Obv.:   CAROLVS ... DG IMPER...?   -   crowned bust to the left.
Rev.:   ... CAS - TRI ? - CAL - LARI   -   Long cross, in the angles S - o - A - o
The legend could be as well:   CIVI - TAS - CAL - LARI   (CNI n.29).

Ref.:
• Corpus Nummorum Italicorum (CNI), vol.II: Piemonte e Sardegna.   Indici
• Enrico Piras: Le monete della Sardegna dal IV secolo a.C. al 1842. Banco di Sardegna 1996.

upgraded 10.2015.

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