Gold & silver Cobs from the Florida shipwrecks of the 1715 Fleet & other New World wrecks. Mint State non-shipwreck Spanish Colonial gold & silver from Lima, Mexico City, Potosi, Bogotá, and other mints .
 

 

 

 

 

 

  Carlos III (1759-88)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                    

                                  Potosi Portrait 8 Reales (1772- 1825)                                      

 

    

In 1770 Carlos III decided to again revamp the types of his silver coinage. The royal bust, hitherto reserved for gold coinage, now would grace the obverse of his reales. An odd amalgam of pillar and shield design now became the reverse type.  The Bust coinage was launched with some atypical co-ordination by all the active New World mints in 1772. It lasted for about 50 years until, under the inept and harsh reign of Fernando VII, the New World colonies broke from Spain and became independent. Royalist coinage ceased at the Mexican mints 1821-23. Lima and Potosi finally ceased in 1824 and 1825 respectively.

 

 

PR8. Vicerroyalty of El Peru, mint of Potosi. 8 Reales 1774 JR. Very choice mint

           state, well struck, and prooflike.. A spectacular example of a Carlos III 8

           reales, and a fortunate survivor of the terrible massacres of the Great Aymara

           Rebellion of 1780.

           

 

 

I am somewhat puzzled by PCGS's very conservative call. The fields are virtually pristine and there are no distracting contact marks on the bust or the shield. What there are on the coin are several small deposits--look at the C and first digit just above--that, far from being distracting, testify the historical provenance of this Aymara coin. I would grade this 1774 Potosi as at least an MS 64 and likely an MS 65. I think NGC, which is more experienced with grading shipwreck and hoard coins, would agree.

 

       

 

       This Potosi 8 reales has a engagng if tragic history. It was found in a small pot nearly 40 years ago in a field near Potosi, Bolivia. Field burials in a pot are a classic sign of an  "emergency hoard." People who are fleeing for their lives often cannot or dare not take all their wealth with them. They bury their treasure in a field and hope to return one day and recover it. The Spaniards who buried this hoard in 1780 never returned. Thousands were butchered in the Great Aymara Rebellion that began in the Fall of 1780 and lasted two years. The pot contained a small group of Potosi two and eight reales dated 1774-1778. Several of the 1774's had some degree of prooflikeness,  but most also had stains, spots, and areas of weak strike. This is one of the most attractive Aymara coins.

 

Available. Price on request.

 

 terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293 

 

    

 

 

PR8. Potosi. 8 Reales. 1822 PJ. Lustrous mint state, well struck dishy prooflike fields especially on the reverse. From the Arequipa Hoard (as noted on the holder) and one the choicest Potosi 8 reales from that emergency hoard discovered in 2007.

 

 

 

 As students of the early Peruvian Republic know, there were a half dozen insurgencies and counter-insurgencies in the period 1827-1835, one of the which was the occasion for this emergency hoard. Arequipa did not summit willingly to the dictatorships of the "liberators" and suffered militarily for its stance. The Arequipa Hoard contains both royal and early republican issues. Surprisingly some of the earlier royal issues like this 1822 are in the best condition. NGC, probably misunderstanding die polishing lines that contribute to its PL  appearance, has blundered in calling this mint state survivor an AU 55. That blunder will save a collector who wants a choice mint state Arequipa 8 reales about $1000!

 

 

 

Available. Price on request

terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293

 

 

 

PR11. Lima. 8 reales. 1807 JP.  SOLD

              Lustrous Choice Brilliant Uncirculated

              with attractive light peripheral toning. NGC MS63. Calico tipo 76  num. 639

 

 

 

An exceptionally clean and lustrous coin, sharply struck and with attractive peripheral toning. No adjustment marks or planchet problems of any kind. I would call it without hesitation a Gem BU Busto, but NGC in its wisdom deems it MS 63, and so it is priced.  I can tell you I have never seen a better one. Struck in the final year of Carlos IV's unhappy reign when Napoleon finally decided to depose the inept Bourbon monarchy.

 

 

 

 

  Sold

   terravitan@aol.com or 480-595-1293

 

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PR12. MEXICO. Eight Reales. 1796 FM. Well struck and Prooflike,

 deep cameo on the reverse. The high points show NO wear,

but graded AU 55 by NGC.  SOLD

 

 

 

 

 

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