Guatemala 1734-G J 8 reales
This specimen was lot 987 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 38 (Winter Park, FL, November 2025), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description[1] noted, "GUATEMALA, Guatemala City, cob 8 reales, 1734 J, NGC VF details / saltwater damage / Rooswijk (Shipwreck Blue Label). Thick flan (sort of a curvy rectangle) with very bold full date below high-grade waves (much better than the label grade), full king's name PHILIP below assayer on other side, some streaks of dark toning but minimal surface pitting, scarce second date of issue. From the Rooswijk (1739), with original (generic) certificate from the salvors, and pedigreed to the Darby Collection of Guatemala Silver Cobs." This type was struck 1733-43 at Guatemala. After repeated petitions, Guatemala was finally granted a mint in 1733. The equipment available was cast-offs from the Mexico City mint. The coins of 1733-53 are cobs struck using pillar dies; Guatemala was the only mint to do this. The minors (half reales, one reales and two reales) are all very scarce despite their low catalog value.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.07 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Cayón-9374, S-G1; Cal-1238; KM-6; JP-8R2.
- 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 Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
- Jara, Carlos M., Historia de la Casa de Moneda de Guatemala 1731-1776, Santiago, Chile: Andros Impresores, 2010.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- 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.
- [1]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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