Bolivia 1665-P E 8 reales
The first specimen was lot 583 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 27 (Winter Park, FL, May 2020), where it sold for $476. The catalog description[1] noted, "Potosí, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1665E, date below cross as 665. Bold full pillars-and-waves (the tops particularly sharp), good full cross, three dates, bold king's name and ordinal, VF with light surface porosity." The second specimen was lot 1137 in Jean Elsen sale 161 (Brussels, March 2025), where it sold for €3,200 (about US$4,167 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[2] noted,
"BOLIVIE, Philippe IV (1621-1665), AR 8 reales, 1665, Potosi. D/ Croix cantonnée des armes de Castille et Leon entre P-E. R/ Les colonnes d'Hercule. Rare. Trou rebouché et légende retravaillée. Traces de dorure. Bien frappé avec tous les détails, sur un flan régulier. (Bolivia, Philip IV, 1621-65, silver eight reales of 1665, Potosí mint. Obverse: cross cantonned with the arms of Castile and Leon between 'P-E'; reverse: Pillars of Hercules. Rare, plugged hole and legend reengraved, traces of gilding. Well struck with all the details on a regular planchet, Very Fine.)"
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.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.07 grams, 0.931 fine silver, .810 troy oz ASW, the first specimen 25.14 grams, the second specimen 27,02 g.
Catalog reference: Cayón-6578, S-P37a; KM-21; Cal-1530.
- 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]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 27, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.
- [2]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 161, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2025.
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