Curacao 1821 reaal
This specimen was lot 34154 in Heritage sale 3038 (Dallas, January 2015), where it sold for $734.38. The catalog description[1] noted, "Dutch Colony Reaal 1821 MS62 NGC. Variety with 4 acorns. Most of the mintage was melted in 1827. Virtually unheard of in mint state." The stuiver, a Dutch denomination, traded at six for a real or 48 to the peso before 1801. After 1801, during the British occupation, the stuiver was lowered to 72 to the peso. Numerous varieties exist, varying in the number of acorns on the wreath. Curaçao, like many islands in the Caribbean, suffered from a chronic shortage of coin as absentee planters pulled profits out of the islands. In 1838, Dutch gulden of William II were cut into quarters to serve as small change.
Recorded mintage: 120,665.
Specification: 1.75 g, .898 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 26.1.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Byrne, Ray, Coins and Tokens of the Caribees, Decatur, IL: Jess Peters, Inc., 1975.
- Passon, Tom, Catalogus van de Munten van de Nederlandse Gebieden Overzee, vanaf 1601 tot heden, Apeldoorn, Netherlands, 2022.
- Scholten, C., The Coins of the Dutch Overseas Territories, 1601-1948, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman, 1953.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3037, featuring the Empire, the Santa Catarina, the Law and the Santa Maria Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
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