Bolivia 1769-P VY 4 reales
This specimen was lot 71250 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2022), where it sold for $336. The catalog description[1] noted, "BOLIVIA. Cob 4 Reales, 1769-P. Potosi Mint; Assayers Jose de Vargas y Flor and Raimundo de Yturriaga (V-Y). Charles III. PCGS EF-40. This cob was struck on a dramatically misshapen flan, indicative of the crude manufacture during this last period of cob coin production. The narrow planchet left no room for the assayers' initials, but both mintmarks are readable, along with a boldly struck denomination mark and date. The reverse displays a mostly complete mintmark and central cross, though not much else. An interesting and eye-catching cob with a certain charm to it. From the Pat Johnson Collection." This type was struck for Charles III 1760-73. Four reales of Charles III are rather scarcer than those of his predecessor Ferdinand VI. Assayer "V" stamped coins for that entire time. The Potosi mint did not start striking milled coinage until 1767 and the manufacture of cobs did not cease until 1773.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.917 fine silver, this specimen 13.25 g.
Catalog reference: Cayón-11731, KM-44; Cal-913.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- [1]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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