Chile 1849-So ML 8 escudos
The first specimen was lot 30258 in Heritage sale 3035 (Long Beach, September 2014), where it sold for $1,292.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic gold 8 Escudos 1849 So-ML XF45 NGC, Santiago mint. A decent type coin with limited wear and contact marks and no planchet flaws worth mentioning. Starting in 1843, the Santiago mint included the corresponding month on each coin in the 8 Escudos' series. Rather than the date in which the coin was struck, the month indicates the date in which the gold entered the mint. The month indicated in the current specimen is Diciembre." This is a late date of a series struck 1846-51. There is an earlier standing liberty type, struck 1839-45, where liberty is resting her hand on a pedestal instead of the book of the law shown here. Neither type is rare but prices of these coins have surged in recent years.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27 g, 0.875 fine gold, .759 troy oz AGW, 35.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 105, Fr-41.
- 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]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, and Warren Tucker, Heritage Signature Auction 3035, World and Ancient Coins, featuring the FoxLair Collection and the Law Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
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