Guatemala 1756-G 1/2 real
This specimen was lot 22040 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $9,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "GUATEMALA. 1/2 Real, 1756/5-G. Guatemala City Mint. Ferdinand VI. NGC MS-65. Unfathomable quality for any Guatemalan Pillar denomination, let alone this smallest denomination which served as the backbone to local trade in this remote region. Incredibly fresh, this miracle survivor displays surfaces that are near pristine and are brimming with vivid luster. After centuries of careful storage, the surfaces now display alluring tone, with pastel-hued orange appearing in the centers of the Pillar side, while lovely blue and lilac color sits at the edges. Similar orange color dominates the Shield side, with concentrated inspection yielding some intermingled lilac. Though slightly off-center, the strike is sharp throughout, with all design detail, including the overdate, appearing bold on the flan. All considered, an absolute museum-quality coin, which ranks as the finest known Guatemalan Pillar 1/2 Real known. For the type collector or specialist, a potentially once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an irreplaceable piece of Guatemala's numismatic history. From the Matthew Orsini Collection. Ex: Richard Stuart Collection." Shown is a 1756 half real from the Guatemala mint, of a type issued 1754-1771. 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 for lack of skilled personnel, production of milled coins equivalent to those being produced at Mexico City was not economically feasible[2]. In 1754, improved machinery and level of skill permitted issue of round, milled coins, though local dies were distinctly cruder than the product of the Mexico City mint. In defiance of strict regulation, this date does not bear an assayer's initial.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.69 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Cayón-10211 (listed with assayer "J"), KM-15.
- Gilboy, Frank F., The Milled Columnarios of Central and South America: Spanish American Pillar Coinage, 1732 to 1772, Regina, Saskatchewan: Prairie Wind Publishing, 1999.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 1, 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.
- Yonaka, Brad, A Variety Guide to the Pillar Coinage of the Guatemala, Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago Mints, 1752-1771, Long Beach, CA: Agorocu Consulting, 2018.
- [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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The January 2021 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Oro del Nuevo Mundo and Matt Orsini Collections, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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