Bolivia 1750-P E 4 reales
The first specimen was lot 634 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $348. The catalog description[1] noted, "Potosí, Bolivia, cob 4 reales, 1750E. Bold full pillars (well centered) and nearly full cross, AXF with deeply toned fields, two assayers (possibly E/q)." The second specimen was lot 71233 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $. The catalog description[2] noted, "BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, 1750-P. Potosi Mint; Assayer Esteban Gutierrez Escalante (E). Ferdinand VI. PCGS EF-45. This 4 Reales Cob presents attractive deep toning with dark devices and smoky gray highlights. The coin's best quality, however, is the legend with fully readable assayer, date, and mintmark. From the Pat Johnson Collection." The Spanish colony of Upper Peru produced hammered cob coinage at the Potosí mint from 1573 to 1773, with a major debasement scandal and subsequent reform occurring in 1649-1652. The royal or presentation issues are very rare and highly sought after, while the regular strikes vary in price according to the visibility of the date, mint, and assayer initials. The cobs were debased from 0.931 fine to 0.917 in 1728. Assayer "E" is listed for 1750-51 along with assayer "q".
Recorded mintage: unknown but a common date.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.917 fine silver, the first specimen 13.94 g, the second specimen 12.94 g.
Catalog reference: S-P51; KM-39; Cal-403, Cayón-10490.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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 28, featuring the Dr. Peter Jones and John O'Brien collections, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.
- [2]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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