Barcelona Mint Collection (Seca de Barcelona)

The Barcelona Mint (1441–1868), better known as the Seca (a name derived from the Arabic word sekka, meaning a place where coins are made), was established in 1441 during the reign of King Alfonso V. It remained active—with various periods of interruption—until its definitive closure in 1868, coinciding with the advent of the First Republic.

The Barcelona Mint Fund preserved in the Carandell Library of the Social Sciences Library brings together documentation from two monetary institutions:

• The Mint of Catalonia, known as the Seca Volante, created following the French occupation of 1808 and active in Reus, Tarragona, and Mallorca during the Peninsular War (1808–1814). At the end of the conflict, its archive was transferred to the Barcelona Mint, which explains the coexistence of documentation from both institutions within a single collection.
• The Barcelona Mint itself, from which there are register books and manuscript documentation from two periods of activity: the Liberal Triennium (1821–1823), and part of the Isabelline period, specifically between 1847 and 1854.

Description of the Fund

Administrative and accounting books

The fund includes 51 administrative and accounting books, all digitized and accessible through the DDD.

• Mint of Catalonia 38 account books with titles such as: Dirección (Management), Contaduría (Accounting Office), Tesorería (Treasury), Recepto, Libro para anotar (Record Book), Libro en que se copiarán las certificaciones (Register of Certificates), Dependencia de la Real Casa de Moneda de Cataluña, Receptoría de Cataluña.
• Balance Book of the Mint of Catalonia (1809–1813) A singular volume entitled Balances o estados demostrativos de las cuentas de la Casa de Moneda de Cataluña (Balances or Statements of Account of the Mint of Catalonia), written by the director and administrator Joan d’Amat, containing detailed information on the institution’s accounts between 1809 and 1813.
• Barcelona Mint 12 account books titled: Dirección (Management), Contaduría (Accounting Office), Platero mayor: su cargo y data (Chief Silversmith: receipts and expenditures), Cargo y data de Fundidores y Ensayadores (Founders and Assayers: receipts and expenditures), Cargo y data de la moneda de cobre (Copper Coinage: receipts and expenditures).

Boxed documentation

In addition to the books, the fund includes 53 boxes of original documents, largely unclassified and not digitized.

In 2026, all the material in these boxes was reviewed and inventoried, and the fund was organized according to provenance and document typology.

Mint of Catalonia (1809–1814) – 16 boxes (Boxes 1–16)

Documentation consisting of records of incoming metals (silver, gold, and copper), bundles of Gastos Generales de Fabricación (General Manufacturing Expenses), bundles of Gastos Generales de Utensilios y Máquinas (Utensils and Machinery Expenses) and receipts of charge and discharge for the different trades (founders and assayers, silversmith, and treasurer).

Barcelona Mint (1821–1823) – 24 boxes (Boxes 17–41) A set comprising records of incoming metals (silver, gold, and copper), bundles of Coinage Expenses (Braceage), bundles of Utensils and Machinery Expenses, and certificates issued by the Judge of the Scales.

Barcelona Mint (1847–1854) – 5 boxes (Boxes 42–46)

A first classification by year and document type has been carried out, including, among others: General Treasury Accounts, Treasury Cash Accounts, Treasury Receipts and Expenditures, Cash Ledger, Records of Metal Inflows and Outflows, Certificates of Minted Coin, and other less frequent document types, all detailed in the box inventories.

Documents of mixed chronology or subject matter – 1 box (Box 47)

Material unrelated to minting activity – 3 boxes (Boxes 48–50)

Date range of the fund: 1808–1854

Date of incorporation: 1979

Holding library: Social Sciences Library

Rights: Users undertake to use this documentation solely for research purposes, to cite its provenance when disseminating it, and to provide the Library with any work resulting from its consultation.