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Mexico One Escudos from the 1715 Fleet (Scroll down for a brief history of Mexican Gold Cobs, 1679-1732)
M87. Mexico MXo J, Box-end Cross (1700-10) one escudo. A beautiful and rare little gem on a teardrop shaped planchet. Lustrous, mint state or virtually mint state, coraled in the shield with the distinctive gray-blue matrix of Douglass Beach (1715 Fleet Nieves site). Four blunted points, mandated by mint regulations to discourage shaving. By style, from the last years of the Box-end Cross design (1709-10). No other 1715 Fleet site has yielded Box-end one escudos.
Notice in the shield that the pomegranate of Granada looks like an inset pearl. The effect is even more striking in the hand. The crude planchet and engraving remind me of a 1690's Carlos II issue, but the top of assayer Jose de Leon's initial (J) is clear beneath the mint mark (M)--J takes office in 1705 on the death of his brother Manuel (assayer L). Some gold cobs don't belong wedged in a plastic slab and this is one of them. Ex Stacks, Bowers, Ponterio Sale 164 (1/6/12), lot 905.
Available. Price on request.
D terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293
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************* M55. Mexico, (1714) Mo J one escudo. NGC "1715 Plate Fleet MS 64". SOLD Lustrous, well struck and centered, & choice mint state. (The coin pictured to the left. The two escudos to the right is sold.)
Available. Price on request. terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293
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RECENTLY SOLD:
OLD
From the 1715 Plate Fleet
This 1708 onza has the slight reddish tint so often found on 1713 Mexican escudos. It was found in the same area of Colored Beach as the 1713's. I have suggested elsewhere that this reddish tint is typical of gold coins that have spent a long time in contact with saturated organic material. The 1713's and 1708's were probably in a leather pouch when the Nieves sank. This 1708 onza also shows marine deposits and whitish coral, especially on the cross side. It is full weight at 27.0 grams. Besides being one of only two 1708 Mexican onzas--the other 1708 is impounded in a major private collection from which it will not emerge for many years--this is one of less than a dozen dated BOX CROSS onzas known for the entire 1698-1710 type period. By any measure it a major rarity and an amazing survivor from the exiguous early gold coinage of the Mexico City mint.
From the 1715 Plate Fleet
Mexico. Reign of Charles II (1665-1700). Jeweled Cross four escudos, circa 1690. Very Rare.
The first gold issues of the mint at Mexico City featured the distinctive designs you see on this four escudos. The most striking design feature is the ornate jeweled cross. On the 4 escudos, this design continued until 1699, with at least three significant sub-varieties. No one has yet made a study of jeweled cross Mexican escudos, due to the rarity of the type in all denominations, but I am attempting to do so.
This is a middle-style issue, 1688-1694, identified by various distinctive features of the cross, shield and crown. Prior to the salvages from the 1715 Fleet, the entire population of jeweled cross media onzas (1680-1699) was represented by no more than a half dozen or so coins. See the Lopez-Chavez 1961 monograph on the media onza. I believe the 1715 Fleet has added about another half dozen coins to the population, including this exceptional piece.
This jeweled cross 4 escudos has very light sea surfaces and marine deposits/coral, especially in the lower area of the shield. It has good weight at 13.41 gms and a large, rounded planchet. If you would like a jeweled cross Mexican 4 escudos from the 1715 Fleet, this is a chance that may not be repeated for many years.
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