Guatemala (1841) 8 reales KM-114
This specimen was lot 21404 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $1,020. The catalog description[1] noted,
"GUATEMALA. Guatemala - Bolivia. 8 Reales, ND (1841). PCGS EF-45. Countermark: AU Details. Issued by decree of 31 October 1840, instituted December to early 1841. Countermark: Type IV Hinged Dies, radiant personification of the sun above mountains; Reverse: Radiant personification of the sun on five-pointed star and over bow, quiver, and arrows within circular incuses. Applied to the obverse and reverse of a 1827-PTS JM Bolivia Republic 8 Soles (KM-97). A deeply toned host coin and a very well applied countermark to each side highlights this tremendously attractive, enticing and seldom encountered combination for this countermark type."
This is a foreign eight reales counterstamped in Guatemala in 1841. It is a 'Type IV', meaning that hinged dies were used to stamp the obverse and reverse simultaneously. This particular method was used only in 1841. 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.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: host coin: 27.07 g, 0.903 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM-114; Jovel-Type VII Fig. 6-10.
- 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 January 2023 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Taraszka Collection and the Mark and Dottie Salton Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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