Costa Rica 1876-GW 2 pesos
This specimen was lot 20453 in Heritage sale 3021 (New York, January 2013), where it sold for $3,525. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic gold 2 Pesos 1876-GW, AU58 NGC, nicely toned and original with well-struck features, very scarce one-year type with a mintage of 2,161. The Cecil Webster Collection of Costa Rica." The second specimen was lot 70621 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, June 2021), where it sold for $3,120. The catalog description[2] noted, "COSTA RICA. 2 Pesos, 1876-GW. San Jose Mint. PCGS AU-53 Gold Shield. Fr-18a corr. (listed as "2 PESOS"). Variety with "DOS PESOS". A VERY RARE one-year type, this example is the only such one of the type seen in the PCGS census, and remains only lightly handled with an alluring golden-orange tone throughout." Costa Rica officially switched from the peso to the colon in 1897, which currency was reformed again in 1917 and 1920. Gold two pesos were issued 1866-68 and 1876 but the 1876 is rare.
Recorded mintage: 2,161.
Specification: 2.93 g, 0.875 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 122.
- 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.
- Gurdian, Raul, Contribucion al Estudio de las Monedas de Costa Rica: 100 Años de Colon, 2a Ed., San José, Costa Rica, 1997.
- 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.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The June 2021 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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