Bolivia 1658-P E 8 reales
Royals are known of this type from the Potosí mint but all are rare. The regular cob issues are not nearly as nice. The years 1649-52 were 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. This specimen was lot 997 in Jean Elsen sale 138 (Brussels, September 2018), where it sold for €230 (about US$319 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"BOLIVIE, Philippe IV (1621-1665), AR 8 reales, 1658E, Potosi. D/ Les colonnes d'Hercule. R/ Armes écartelées de Castille et Leon dans un quadrilobe. Frappe faible au revers. Très Beau. (Bolivia, Philip IV, 1621-65, silver eight reales of 1658, Potosí mint. Obverse: coumns of Hercules; reverse: quartered arms of Castile and Leon in a quadrilobe. Weak strike on reverse, very fine.)"
This specimen has the lions and castles reversed from their normal position.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.07 g, 0.931 fine silver, .810 troy oz ASW, this specimen 26,10 g.
Catalog reference: Cayón-6504 (lions and castles reversed), KM 21, C.C.T. 439.
- 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.
- Paoletti, Emilio, 8 Reales Cobs of Potosí, 2nd Ed., Buenos Aires, 2006.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 138, Collection A. BLONDEL, Collection M. HENDRICKX, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils, S.A., 2018.
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