Anyone interested in this coin?

[capt dom]

Here is an interesting four reale
Lima Star with good weight...

Anyone interested?

[dirtywhitboy]

How much ?

[alpha105]

I am.....wish i had the funds....g/l to ya

[capt dom]

Make a realistic offer and PM it to me

[aquanut]

Capt Dom,
I see that you were asking for a reasonable offer on your coin. Though I think it's a nice one, personally, I'm not going to make an offer. However, I understand that a Lima Star is supposed to be something special. Would you care to educate those of us that aren't experts in this area? My knowledge of cobs, etc. is limited to what Henry Taylor, his notes and the Practical Book of Cobs (First Edition) has taught me. Lately I've been relying on guys like Trez for advice.
I'm always interested in those small things that separate the special from the mundane. Here's looking forward to your answer.

Aquanut

[capt dom]

Short Story....

The Viceroy of El Peru
in 1658 partitioned the King of the Spain's, then Philip the 4th
to re - open the Lima mint that had been closed for some 35+ or so
years. His reasoning was that there was a shortage of coinage based
upon the devaluing and call back of Potosi coinage from the decade
of the 1640's because of their debasement.

He did not here back from the King and figuring the term "Viceroy" meant
substitute "king" went ahead ordered a new coin series to be designed
wand re-opened the mint. The new coin design had the "Magi Star" over
the word "Lima" or "LM" with a full date sitting on flatter waves than the
Potosi coinage....

Well, the first messenger - a knight of the Order of Santiago, who was sent
to the crown with examples of these coins for the King - ship happened to
sink at a place called - Jeaga.

When the King found out about this - being superstitious - he ordered the mint
closed and burnt to the ground! Seeing it took time for this message to get to
the Viceroy - the mint wasn't closed until early in 1660.

The viceroy quit and these - Star of Lima - coins are actually the rarest of all
spanish colonial coinage.

[aquanut]

Thanks Capt Dom, that does make the coin a whole lot more interesting.
Aquanut

[divewrecks]

To add to Dom's post...

The Viceroy (Alva de Liste) was not acting totally on his own accord when he reopened the mint. The Lima city council (the "cabildo") is said to have proposed the idea, at least there is some record of that.

During the 1659-1660 mint production denominations of 1,2 4 & 8 were struck. Total mint production is recorded as 2,685,205 pesos (8 reale equivalents). This shear quantity indicates quite a serious effort, not a novel undertaking. Most of the coins are 1659 dated, about 4 times as many as 1660.

I think the main reason That Phillip IV shut down the mint (which occurred April 1660) was that he was really caught off guard, not having known of or authorized its opening. Apparently the viceroy received quite a reprimand for his bold stretch of his authority, but I don't know the exact nature of the punishment he ultimately received. I wasn't aware that it had forced his resignation.

Stan

[capt dom]

In his resignation speech Alba de liste concluded,

"What ever I have done - it was not meant to be in determent to the crown"

Quote from a translation of a study by Eduardo Dargent Chamot
printed by the University of Lima, 1988

Also taken from:

Las Primeras Acunaciones de Oro en La Ceca de Lima
1990 Banco Entral de Reserva del Peru
Seccion Numismatica
composed by
Carlos Lazo Garcia / Jose Torres Bohl / Luise Arana Bustmasnte

and you are right!
The 1660 Stards are far more rare and thus valuable!