Colombia (1627-28) 1/4 real
The first specimen was lot 30626 in Heritage sale 3049 (Long Beach, September 2016), where it sold for $881.25. The catalog description[1] noted, "Philip IV Cob 1/4 Real ND (ca. 1627-8) VF, Santa Fe mint. A very rare type, boldly struck yet off-center (as is almost always the case) with sharp edges, the customary castle on one side and the leftward facing rampant lion appearing on the other; the intricate details of these designs date the piece to the period noted, as they match that on the quadrants of the 8 reales. The first we have offered from this period, and while several examples have turned up in the recent past, very few have come to market, with the only example we've seen bringing $2,600 hammer in a 2011 Sedwick auction." The SCWC attributes this scarce type to 1651 but the matching of punches to the 1628 eight reales certainly gives a plausible result. The second specimen was lot 51002 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $528. The catalog description[2] noted, "COLOMBIA. Cob 1/4 Real, ND (ca. 1624-65). Santa Fe de Nuevo Reino (Bogota) Mint. Philip IV. NGC VF-30. Variety with solid peripheral ring. A wholesome example of this rustic early Cuartillo. Fairly well-centered, the castle displays handsomely on the obverse. Ashy tone imparts a weathered but charming look. From the EMO Collection."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.86 g, 0.931 fine silver, the first specimen 11 mm, .75 g, the second specimen 0.87 g.
Catalog reference: KM A7, Restrepo-M14.1a. the second specimen EMO-108.2 (Plate coin); KM-A7; Cal-531; Restrepo-M14.
- 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.
- Restrepo, Jorge Emilio, Monedas de Colombia, 1619-2006, Medellin, Colombia, Impresiones Rojo: 2006.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World Coin Auction 3049, featuring the Ohio Valley Collection, the Redwood Collection and the F.P. Briand Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2016.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2024 NYINC Auction, featuring the Emilio M Ortiz Collection and a Symphony of Russian Rarities, the Rothschild-Piatigorsky Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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