Brazil 1729-R 6400 reis
This specimen was lot 33413 in Heritage sale 3106 (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $4,080. The catalog description[1] noted, "Brazil. A Key-date of the Rio de Janeiro mint. João V gold 6400 Reis 1729/8-R VF, Rio de Janeiro mint. An exceedingly rare issue, and the first example we have handled of this date, presented here with evenly handled motifs and antique-gold toning. Elusive in any grade, the specimen offered is only the second we've managed to locate outside the BES (Banco Espirito Santo) Collection (ex. Hewitt and Pagliari, struck with the same dies), with none in major collections such as the Norweb, Eliasberg, or RLM. From a 5-year series, of which all dates are rare, we would note that PCGS has a single 1728/7-R (AU58) in their census, which realized $50,000 in our auction #3056 (August 2017, Lot 30147), while NGC has a single 1727-R (AU Details) in their registry which brought $125,000 in January 2012. A prized piece, and absolutely a unique opportunity that will likely engage Brazilian type collectors." The 6400 réis or peça was first struck in Portugal in 1722. Large amounts of gold were coming out of Brazilian mines but this denomination was not struck there until 1727 and all the dates before 1737 are rare or very rare. The early dates vary considerably in the details of the arms on the reverse and have been assigned multiple KM numbers in the SCWC.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 14.34 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 136, LMB-190.
- Amato, Claudio, and Irlei S. Neves, Livro das Moedas do Brasil, 14a ed. Sao Paulo, 2015.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Pimentel, Alvaro Mendes, Catálogo de Moedas Brasileiras de 1643 a 1962, 9a Ed., Rio de Janeiro, 1962.
- Sáez Salgado, Javier, Moedas de Ouro de Portugal, 1185-1889, Lisbon, Numisma Leiloes, 2001.
- Alberto Gomes and Francisco Antonio Magro, Moedas Portuguesas e do Território Que Hoje é Portugal: Catálogo das Moedas Cunhadas para o Continentes e Ilhas Adjacentes, para os Territórios do Ultramar e Grão-Mestres Portugueses da Ordem de Malta, 6ª Edição, Lisbon: Associação Numismática de Portugal, 2013.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2023 January 17 - 18 NYINC World & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3106, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2022.
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