Ecuador 1884-H 2 decimos
This specimen was lot 29350 in Heritage sale 3037 (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $2,350. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic 2 Decimos 1884-H PR66 PCGS, Heaton mint. Gem Proof with lovely steel toning embellished by apricot hues. One of the finest extant examples of this rarity, of which about 7 pieces have been confirmed by the cataloger." After a period of striking reales, pesos and escudos which must be regarded as failure, Ecuador ceased minting coins in 1862. In 1884, the government tried again, this time with coinage produced on contract by the Heaton mint in Birmingham, England. A new currency conforming to the Latin Monetary Union was introduced, the sucre, with its division the centavo. Silver dos decimos (= twenty centavos) were produced at Heaton 1884-90, at Santiago 1889-91 and at Lima, Peru, 1889-96 and 1912-15.
Recorded mintage: 25,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 5 g, 0.900 fine silver, .144 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM 51.1.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [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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