Bolivia 1677-P E 4 reales
This specimen was lot 628 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $3,360. The catalog description[1] noted, "Potosí, Bolivia, cob 4 reales Royal (galano), 1677E, extremely rare, NGC VF details / holed, ex-Americas, ex-Santa Rosa de Lima (both stated on label). Broad flan with nearly full legends, the inner details slightly doubled but all clear and nicely toned all over, with inevitable hole above the left pillar / near the left end of the cross. Possibly unique, as we cannot trace another specimen, which is typical for 4R Royals, most of which are unique. Pedigreed to the "Americas" collection (Kagin's auction of August 1983, lot #1201) and to the Santa Rosa de Lima collection (our Auction #18, lot #749), also pedigreed to the Ponterio auction of March 1992 (lot #793)." 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. Mexico and Potosi were the only mints to produce four reales during 1677-79.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.931 fine silver, this specimen 13.21 grams.
Catalog reference: S-P37b; KM-R25; Cal-501, Cayón-7444.
- 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 Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
- 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 and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 28, featuring the Dr. Peter Jones and John O'Brien collections, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.
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