Guatemala 1734-G J 1/2 real
Shown is a 1734 half real from the Guatemala mint, of a type issued 1733-1752. 1733 was the first year the Guatemala mint struck coinage, having first applied for authorization from the Spanish crown in 1714. The machinery was brought from Mexico City, and had already seen much service. As a consequence of that, and the fact that in Guatemala there were few people skilled in striking coins, production of milled coins equivalent to those being produced at Mexico City was not economically feasible[2]. The endeavour was abandoned shortly thereafter and the mint began striking coins on irregular planchets without applying edge devices, which was achieved at an acceptable rate.
The first example shown was lot 1278 in Sedwick auction 9 on April 27, 2011, where it sold for $230. Not all details of the coin are clear, but effort was made to position the date such that it would appear on the resultant coin. The second specimen was lot 1052 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 38 (Winter Park, FL, November 2025), where it sold for $156. The catalog description[3] noted, "GUATEMALA, Guatemala City, cob ½ real, 1734 J, "+" for denomination. Full date and both mintmarks, bold denomination, old scuff on waves, deeply toned about Fine, scarce. Pedigreed to the Darby Collection of Guatemala Silver Cobs."
Mexican numismatists hotly debate which side of the coin constitutes the obverse. Gilboy[1] depicts the shield side as the obverse as that side bears the king's name. However, auction catalogs and dealer listings more frequently use the pillars and globes side as the obverse, as that side bears the date.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specifications: 1.62 g, 0.917 fine silver, 0.0498 oz ASW, the second specimen is 1.46 grams.
Catalog reference: Cayón-8243, S-G1; Cal-112; KM-2; JP-MR2.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- Calicó, Xavier, Numismática Española: Catálogo General con Precios de Todas las Monedas Españolas Acuñadas desde Los Reyes Católicos Hasta Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- [1]Gilboy, Frank F., The Milled Columnarios of Central and South America: Spanish American Pillar Coinage, 1732 to 1772, Regina, Saskatchewan: Prairie Wind Publishing, 1999.
- [2]Jara, Carlos M., Historia de la Casa de Moneda de Guatemala 1731-1776, Santiago, Chile: Andros Impresores, 2010.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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.
- [3]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia, Cori Sedwick Downing, Connor Falk and Sarah Sproles, Auction 38, World, U.S Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Jorge Ugaz Collection of Lima Silver Cob 2 Reales and the Darby Collection of Guatemala Silver Cobs, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2025.
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