Bolivia 1652-P E 2 reales
This specimen was lot 472 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 35 (Winter Park, FL, May 2024), where it sold for $1,440. The catalog description[1] noted, "BOLIVIA, Potosí, cob 2 reales, 1652 E, transitional McLean Type IV, rare, NGC XF details / sea salvaged (Shipwreck Blue Label). Very thin from corrosion but somehow with choice full pillars-and-waves (showing P-H-E across top and E-2-P across bottom) and cross-lions-castles (with date 652 below, P to left and E to right), contrasting toning in crevices, perhaps just struck on a 1R flan in error. With original ROBCAR tag and photo-certificate M180145. Recovered from Consolación, sunk in 1681 off Santa Clara Island, Ecuador." Royals are known of this type from the Potosí mint for 1652-66 but all are rare. The regular cob issues are not nearly as nice. The 1649-52 was a period of reform at the Potosí mint; it was found that the previous mintmasters in office 1625-48 had been debasing the cobs, a crime for which one official paid with his life.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.77 g, 0.931 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Cayón-5934; S-P37; KM-A16.1; Cal-917.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia, Cori Sedwick Downing and Connor Falk, Treasure Auction 35, World, U.S Coins and Paper Money, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2024.
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