Guatemala (1839) 4 reales KM-91

Stack's Bowers 2022 ANA sale, lot 34121

This specimen was lot 34121 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $3,600. The catalog description^[1] noted,

"GUATEMALA. Guatemala - El Salvador - Peru. 4 Reales, ND (1840). PCGS VF-35; Countermark: EF Details. Type II Countermark; sun over mountains within circular border. Issued by decree of 31 October to 20 November 1840. A VERY RARE host coin/countermark combination with only a few known examples. Countermark applied to an 1836-CUZCO B Peru Republic 4 Reales with previous El Salvador "Zig-Zag" scribe mark (Decree of 18 December 1834 until at least 1839). This handsome and richly toned example displays pervasive slate patina with a slight iridescent sheen. The Guatemala countermark is bold, but slightly uneven, while the scribe mark is fairly tight and even with addition zig-zags to the right. Exhibiting moderate wear, this attractive survivor is pleasing to the eye and is sure to see spirited bidding from many collectors.
We would like to point out that the example from the Kyle Ponterio collection, same host and countermark combination, in our NYINC 2020 Auction Lot # 21038 sold for $6,500 plus buyer's fee. Initially applied from 26 April 1839 through 20 November 1840 to cob coinage of good weight and purity. Then applied to Pesos Fuertes from May to 29 June 1840 and on the milled coins of 2, 4 and 8 Reales from Bolivia and Peru, before the Peru-Bolivian confederation, from 31 October to 20 November 1840. According to Jovel, the assayers erroneously countermarked the present example because of the lack of compliance with weight requirements. From the Pat Johnson Collection."

This is a foreign crown counterstamped in Guatemala in 1840. It is a 'Type II', meaning that only the obverse was stamped. This particular method was used only in 1839. Foreign crowns were counterstamped from 1839-1841, during a time at which the Central American Republic was in a state of collapse and the country of Guatemala was emerging as an independent entity. Neither the silver nor the minting capacity was available to locally produce large denomination silver coins until 1859.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 13.54 g, 0.896 fine silver.

Catalog reference: cf. KM-91; cf. Jovel-Type V Fig. 6-2.

Source:

Byrne, Ray, Coins and Tokens of the Caribees, Decatur, IL: Jess Peters, Inc., 1975.
Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.

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Guatemala (1839) 4 reales KM-91

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