Bolivia 1644-P FR 4 reales
This specimen was lot 71089 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $528. The catalog description[1] noted, "BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, 1644-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Felipe Rodriguez de Arellano (FR). Philip IV. PCGS EF-40. A beautifully toned and well-preserved specimen from a RARE date. The obverse displays a bold mintmark and assayer's monogram to the left of the finely-detailed Habsburg shield. On the far right, a partial denomination mark appears. The reverse shows all four digits of the date, partially obscured from doubling but still determinable. Some flatness is present on both sides, but a satisfying amount of central details remains. The surfaces display an elegant old cabinet tone that gives the coin particular eye appeal. From the Pat Johnson Collection. Ex: Henry Christensen." The mountains around Potosi contained enormous amounts of high grade silver ore, a situation the Spanish were not slow to exploit. A mint was set up in the 1570's to process the silver mined there. The early products of the reign of Philip II are fairly good quality but rot set in during the following reign, including fraudulent debasement. This type was struck 1622-47, throughout the first part of the reign of Philip IV. Dates were added in 1617; even so, many are so crudely made that the dates are not legible. This type is rare; it was never made in large quantities and nearly all melted down in the great remintage of 1649-52 when the debased cobs were called in. Assayer FR operated only 1640-44 and all of his products are today rare.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.931 fine silver, this specimen 13.68 g and most likely debased.
Catalog reference: Cayón-unlisted, KM-17A; Cal-1098.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The November 2022 Collectors Choice Ancient & World Coins Auction, Featuring the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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