Joseph Napoleon is the name by which Joseph I Bonaparte, Napoleon Bonaparte's older brother, became known in Spain. He was imposed as king of Spain by his brother after the abdications of Bayonne in 1808, amid a context of French military occupation and strong national resistance, which sparked the Spanish Peninsular War. His reign (1808-1813) was marked by unpopularity, rejection by a large part of the population, and constant struggle against Spanish patriots, who contemptuously nicknamed him "the intruder king" or "Pepe Botella."

During his reign, he attempted to implement reforms inspired by the Napoleonic model and relied on the so-called "afrancesados" (French supporters), but he never managed to consolidate his power throughout Spain. His reign officially ended in 1813 with the defeat of the French and the restoration of Ferdinand VII.

The period of Joseph Napoleon marked a profound transformation in Spanish numismatics:

Monetary reform: The traditional gold ounces and silver duros were maintained, but the denomination of the coins was changed to "reales." For example, 8 escudos were renamed "320 reales" and duros "20 reales."

Introduction of the peseta: For the first time, coins bearing the "peseta" denomination were minted, especially at the Barcelona mint, in gold, silver, and copper. The peseta, although not officially coined until 1868, appeared in coins of 1, 2.5, 5, and 20 pesetas during the French occupation of Catalonia.

Main mints: Gold and silver coins were minted mainly in Madrid and Seville, while copper coins were issued in Segovia (8 maravedís) and Barcelona (cuartos and pesetas).