Guatemala 1770-G P 2 reales
This specimen was lot 41228 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description[1] noted, "GUATEMALA. 2 Reales, 1770-G P. Guatemala Mint. Charles III. PCGS FINE-15. An elusive problem-free survivor from this VERY RARE series of Charles III 2 Reales, this being the first example of this date we can recall offering as well as the only straight-graded example certified by either PCGS or NGC. A charmingly crude little piece, with some brightness in the fields that has begun to tone over deeply. From the Richard August Collection." Shown is a 1770 two reales from the Guatemala mint, of a type issued 1760-71. All pillar coinage from Guatemala is scarce and many issues are rare. Assayer "P" is noted for the years 1759-85. Unlike the other colonial mints, Guatemala seems to have issued more four reales than any other denomination. Gilboy marks the half, one and two reales as "rare" and the eight reales as "scarce" to "normal." None are marked as common. Guatemala issues are notably cruder than other mints.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.77 g, 0.917 fine silver.
Catalog reference: Cayón-11517, KM-25; Cal-556.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 2, 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.
- Harris, Robert P., Pillars & Portraits, San José, CA: Bonanza Press, 1968.
- [2]Gilboy, Frank F., The Milled Columnarios of Central and South America: Spanish American Pillar Coinage, 1732 to 1772, Regina, Saskatchewan: Prairie Wind Publishing, 1999.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2025 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Richard August Collection and the Richard Margolis Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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