Spanish 1/2 Reale Cob

[Ryno]

First time detecting at the Treasure Coast, only had two days to detect. Found on the second day.

 

[newnan man]

You did good!

 

[The Rebel]

Awesome job! How do you plan to clean it?

 

[Sandog]

That's amazing. I left Petersburg for Florida in 1959 and haven't found one of those yet.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great find!

 

[mrwiskers]

Here's what I can see by your pics... the 3-digit date ( 7-5-4, for 1754), king Ferdinand VI's (partial) monogram, Jerusalem cross & 1 castle in it's proper position ... Ya'all can call me crazy, but here's what you'll see after it's cleaned...

 

[Ryno]

Awesome job! How do you plan to clean it?

I've done a little electrolsys on it. Took it to a coin shop near me and confirmed it was a Spanish Cob and he suggested not to clean any more as it may lose detail.

 

[Ryno]

Here's what I can see by your pics... the 3-digit date ( 7-5-4, for 1754), king Ferdinand VI's (partial) monogram, Jerusalem cross & 1 castle in it's proper position ... Ya'all can call me crazy, but here's what you'll see after it's cleaned...View attachment 2233450View attachment 2233451

Thank you so much for this information.

 

[mrwiskers]

Hi, Ryno ... you could try & soak the cob in 100% acetone (inexpensive & available ... make certain that it's 100% ...) It may or may not loosen some debris, but 100% acetone will not otherwise affect the coin's surfaces. It will work to remove organic gunk (glue, tape, oil, etc.) but does not affect metal ... it could take anywhere from a week to several months ... after soaking, do not rinse in water, just let it dry, as acetone will totally evaporate. NOTE: be careful not to let the acetone come in contact with a countertop or tabletop surfaces ... isolate your work on a piece of wood, & do it outside if possible, avoiding fumes ... I use a small glass jar as a container, screw the lid tight & place out of the way in a closet. You can open, remove the coin & check progress, replacing in the jar if necessary ...

...Your cob was definately sruck at the Potosi, Bolivia mint, during the reign of Ferdinand VI (1746 - 1759) ... the dates on these small cobs used only the last 3 digits (7-5-4 for 1754), & I can see the "7" & the "5" for certain ... the "4" is a possibility, but can't say for sure ... so, you'd be accurate to place the date in the 1750s ...

...these small, crude cobs were little more than bits of silver, & not a lot of detail made the surfaces when struck ... here's a few pics of some of mine, to show how crude they are:

 

[Ryno]

Hi, Ryno ... you could try & soak the cob in 100% acetone (inexpensive & available ... make certain that it's 100% ...) It may or may not loosen some debris, but 100% acetone will not otherwise affect the coin's surfaces. It will work to remove organic gunk (glue, tape, oil, etc.) but does not affect metal ... it could take anywhere from a week to several months ... after soaking, do not rinse in water, just let it dry, as acetone will totally evaporate. NOTE: be careful not to let the acetone come in contact with a countertop or tabletop surfaces ... isolate your work on a piece of wood, & do it outside if possible, avoiding fumes ... I use a small glass jar as a container, screw the lid tight & place out of the way in a closet. You can open, remove the coin & check progress, replacing in the jar if necessary ...

...Your cob was definately sruck at the Potosi, Bolivia mint, during the reign of Ferdinand VI (1746 - 1759) ... the dates on these small cobs used only the last 3 digits (7-5-4 for 1754), & I can see the "7" & the "5" for certain ... the "4" is a possibility, but can't say for sure ... so, you'd be accurate to place the date in the 1750s ...

...these small, crude cobs were little more than bits of silver, & not a lot of detail made the surfaces when struck ... here's a few pics of some of mine, to show how crude they are:View attachment 2233585View attachment 2233586View attachment 2233588

I really appreciate the advice

 

[Knight_of_Excalibur_II]

First time detecting at the Treasure Coast, only had two days to detect. Found on the second day.View attachment 2233341

Went up to the treasure coast about a month after you did (presuming you went in November of 2025), spent ~1 week of detecting on the beaches. Tried several beaches, virtually zero targets, heavily hunted, heavily sanded in. Then I found a patch on a beach and got lucky, found some neat artifacts. Heard rumors about a guy "who found a reale about a month ago" from other detectorists that I met along the way as I was detecting the beaches. Think they might have been referring to you, lol.

 

[Ryno]

Went up to the treasure coast about a month after you did (presuming you went in November of 2025), spent ~1 week of detecting on the beaches. Tried several beaches, virtually zero targets, heavily hunted, heavily sanded in. Then I found a patch on a beach and got lucky, found some neat artifacts. Heard rumors about a guy "who found a reale about a month ago" from other detectorists that I met along the way as I was detecting the beaches. Think they might have been referring to you, lol.

Yes I was there the first part of November 2025

 

[RickFlorida]

Where did you find it? Turtle Trail or Bonsteele area?

 

[Ryno]

Where did you find it? Turtle Trail or Bonsteele area?

Sorry for the delay, been going through medical issues. It was Bonsteel area. I'll be back down that area, hopefully, from the 24th till the 29th

 

[Digger54]

Hi, Ryno ... you could try & soak the cob in 100% acetone (inexpensive & available ... make certain that it's 100% ...) It may or may not loosen some debris, but 100% acetone will not otherwise affect the coin's surfaces. It will work to remove organic gunk (glue, tape, oil, etc.) but does not affect metal ... it could take anywhere from a week to several months ... after soaking, do not rinse in water, just let it dry, as acetone will totally evaporate. NOTE: be careful not to let the acetone come in contact with a countertop or tabletop surfaces ... isolate your work on a piece of wood, & do it outside if possible, avoiding fumes ... I use a small glass jar as a container, screw the lid tight & place out of the way in a closet. You can open, remove the coin & check progress, replacing in the jar if necessary ...

...Your cob was definately sruck at the Potosi, Bolivia mint, during the reign of Ferdinand VI (1746 - 1759) ... the dates on these small cobs used only the last 3 digits (7-5-4 for 1754), & I can see the "7" & the "5" for certain ... the "4" is a possibility, but can't say for sure ... so, you'd be accurate to place the date in the 1750s ...

...these small, crude cobs were little more than bits of silver, & not a lot of detail made the surfaces when struck ... here's a few pics of some of mine, to show how crude they are:View attachment 2233585View attachment 2233586View attachment 2233588

I know I am being Capt Obvious, so this coin would have come from a later period shipwreck then the 1715 fleet. Curious what ship it may have come from in that general area?