Chile 1817-So JF escudo
This specimen was lot 819 in Sedwick Auction 36 (Winter Park, FL, November 2024), where it sold for $1,140. The catalog description[1] noted, "CHILE, Santiago, gold bust 1 escudo, Ferdinand VII (bust of Charles IV), 1817/6 JF, mintmark and assayer transposed, very rare, NGC VG 8 (Colección Val y Mexía Label), finest and only example in NGC census. Nicely red-toned and problem-free, just well worn, in fact a very important coin for the specialist as an unlisted overdate (fairly clear) and for the transposition variety (actually not noted on label, but listed in references as Cal-1572, KM-76, and Fr-32), which the named collector believes is an indication that it is the first issue from the new Republic, using an old 1816 obverse die with a 7 punched over the 6 combined with an improvised reverse. Pedigreed to the Val y Mexia Collection." This specimen is one of a series struck 1808-17 in Santiago during the reign of Ferdinand VII. The opening of an enlarged Casa de Moneda in 1805 allowed the increase in mintages but this type is still rare. The bust of Charles IV was used throughout the series even tho the bust of Ferdinand VII appears on the two reales, eight reales and eight escudos. The Spanish were expelled in 1817 but the first republican one escudos did not appear until 1824.
Recorded mintage: 22,000.
Specification: 3.38 g, 0.875 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Cayón-16179; Cal-unl; KM-76 (unlisted overdate); Fr-32.
- 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.
- 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia, Cori Sedwick Downing, Connor Falk and Sarah Sproles, Treasure Auction 36, World, U.S Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Luis R. Ponte collection, the Jorge Becerra Collection and the John M. O'Brien collection, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2024.
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