Costa Rica (1849-57) 1/2 real

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from the Mountain Groan Collection
Costa Rica 1847 medio real cs rev DSLR.jpg
Heritage sale 3022, part of lot 27034, with 1849 counterstamp
Costa Rica 1843cs medio real rev Heritage 3022-27034.jpg
Heritage sale 3022, part of lot 27034, with 1849 counterstamp
Costa Rica 1845cs medio real rev Heritage 3022-27034.jpg
Heritage sale 3022, part of lot 27037, with 1849 counterstamp
Costa Rica 1848cs medio real rev Heritage 3022-27037.jpg
Heritage sale 3022, part of lot 27037, with 1849 counterstamp
Costa Rica 1849cs medio real rev Heritage 3022-27037.jpg
from the Mountain Groan Collection
Costa Rica 1843cs medio real rev DSLR.jpg

In the mid-nineteenth century, Costa Rica suffered from recurring coin shortages, which the mint in San José was incapable of alleviating. To extend the life of lightweight and worn coin, the government counterstamped numerous coins of Central America and foreign countries in the 1840's. This counterstamp is catalogued as "type VI" and was used 1849-57 on coins of Great Britain as well as local issues. The host coin shown on the first specimen is an 1847 half real of Central American Republic, listed therein in the SCWC as KM 20a. The second and third specimens were part of lot 27034 in Heritage sale 3022 (New York, January 2013), which sold for $440.63. The catalog description[1] noted, "Central American Republic 1/2 Reals 1843-M and 1845-B, KM20 and KM67, Medio Real 1843 without the later Lion countermark, and thus KM20 by type under the CAR, and with the 1849 revalidation counterstamp for the young Costa Rica Republic shown as KM67. The scarcer un-remarked example is easily better than VF while the second is VF. The next date in the series, the most elusive by far, is assayer B of 1845, with the Lion countermark it grades Fine plus. The Cecil Webster Collection of Costa Rica." The counterstamped ooin is more common than unmolested examples.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver.

Catalog reference: KM 68.

Source:

  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
  • Gurdian, Raul, Contribucion al Estudio de las Monedas de Costa Rica: 100 Años de Colon, 2a Ed., San José, Costa Rica, 1997.
  • Raymond, Wayte, The Coins of Central America, Silver and Copper, 1824-1940, New York: Wayte Raymond Inc., 1941.
  • Robinson, Charles, The Coins of Central America, 1733-1965, San Benito, TX: 1965.
  • Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
  • [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3021, featuring the Cecil Webster, Richard P. Ariagno and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2012.

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