Treasure trove

During restoration work, a hoard of 67 Spanish coins dating from between 1869 and 1879 was found, probably the result of smuggling.
On October 19th, 1868, the peseta was introduced as the official Spanish currency. In 1870, 10- and 5-cent peseta coins were minted for the first time. Colloquially, they were called ‘perra gorda’ (fat bitch) and ‘perra chica’ (little bitch). This name is due to the peculiar shape of the lion that appeared on the reverse side, as it resembled a dog when the coin was damaged or scratched. This is where the popular expression ‘tener muchas perras’ (to have a lot of bitches) comes from, meaning that someone has a lot of money or wealth.