1688 letter signed by Charles II of Spain, signed Yo el Rey, 8.5x12". Letter related to a commission to Joseph Perez de la Puente as Knight of the Order of Santiago. Charles II was the King that stopped the process of melting all prior royalty gold, crowns etc. He also removed the practice of alchemy as a cover to science, removing from Catholic church. Appointed Richard Pettus to write a treatise on mines and metals in English without alchemy tones. In short, prior, the knowledge of metallurgy was unique to the King and the privileged. "Known as the Bewitched (Spanish: El Hechizado), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War of the Spanish Succession that followed his death, Charles's reign has traditionally been viewed as one of managed decline. However, many of the issues Spain faced in this period were inherited from his predecessors and some recent historians have suggested a more balanced perspective" from Wikipedia. 4x4" brown center.Date: Country (if not USA): SpainState: City: Provenance: Jim & Barbara Sherman Private Western Mining Museum