Ecuador 1888-H sucre
This specimen was lot 2258 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $79,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "Excessively Rare Proof Ecuadorian Sucre, ECUADOR. Sucre, 1888-HEATON. Heaton Mint. NGC PROOF-66 Cameo. An excessively rare proof striking, the 2002 UBS catalog lists this as one of two examples known, and Krause does not even record a proof striking of this type. Once part of the Norweb collection, this piece has been well maintained by its prior owners. Beautiful fields present evidence of die polishing, and the sharply struck devices host some mottled copper, mauve, and electric blue toning. A fantastic piece, this example may well be the highest summit of Sucre-era Ecuadorian coinage ever produced. Ex: UBS (9/2002) Lot #4598. Ex: Norweb Collection (Christie's - 11/1985) Lot #823. Ex: Auction Paramount (8/1975) Lot #135." 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 sucres were produced at Heaton 1884-95, at Santiago, Chile, 1888-89, and at Lima, Peru, 1890-97. The specimen shown is from Heaton. The type is not common but reasonably available in circulated condition, altho the proofs are rare.
Recorded mintage: 100,000.
Specification: 25 g, 0.900 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-53.1, Seppa/Anderson-Not Listed; CARR-206.
- Elizondo, Carlos A., Eight Reales and Pesos of the New World, San Antonio, TX: 1968.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Raymond, Wayte, The Silver Dollars of North and South America, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1964.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 NYINC Sale: World and Ancient Coins, featuring the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection and the Pat Johnson Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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