Nice Coin

[divewrecks]

Another nice coin from the Pre Long Beach auction...wish it was mine....

Stan

Bolivia / Guatemala. "Royal" 8 Reales, 1690-P-VR (Potosi). WR-8 var.; KM-R26; cf. KM-96.1. 27.49 grams. Charles II, 1665-1700. Crowned Cross of Jerusalem, quartered arms of Castille and Leon, all in quadrilobe; inverted Type II Guatemala countermark at right upper quarter of arms. Reverse: Crowned pillars over waves. Well centered, bold strike on excellent metal. Flan nice and round, but a little tight. Three dates visible. Attractively toned and very pleasing. Very Rare and interesting. NGC graded EF-40.

Note the countermark that was placed on the coin in the 1830's and '40's, when the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Cost Rica were attempting the fiction of a "United States of Central America." The effort was a dismal failure, but the necessity for the "country" to monetize whatever specie, bullion, old or foreign coin that was on hand resulted in many of the old Spanish reales being countermarked like the above piece.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
Ex: The Millennia Collection, Lot 939.

Our item number 116446

[Bigcypresshunter]

Beautiful detail.

[MORE AND BEYOND OSSY]

Very very nice, I would love to add this beauty to my collection. Stan does the counterstamp
add value or devalue the coin?
Cheers, Sam

[divewrecks]

According to Lazaro's book on silver royals "Reales de a ocho: Los redondos de Lima, Mejico y Potosi y otras acunaciones especiales" it says:

"In the XIXth century, between 1838 and 1841 in the newly proclaimed Republic of Guatemals, after the breaking of the republic of Central America, many Viveroyal coins were countermarked with a sun above mountains inside a circle, which consequenty is also found in the Redondos. In my opinion, these counterstamped specimens should be valued more highly than the former countermarked ones, and be undoubtedly included in the Spanish series, since no coin loses its nationality because of its service to another country as a means of political transformation".

Stan