Guatemala 1864-R 4 reales
This specimen was lot 8522 in Ponterio sale 151 (Baltimore, November 2009, not sold). The catalog description[1] noted, "GUATEMALA. 4 Reales, 1864-R. NGC MS-63." Guatemala retained the real as a division of the peso until 1912, long after her neighbors had converted to decimal coinage. Indeed, attempts by the government in the 1870's to issue decimal coins (such as the 50 centavos of 1870) were failures. The portrait is of Rafael Carrera, cattle rustler, bandit, guerrilla leader and finally President of the Republic. The coin is one of the smallest gold coins ever issued and is the scarcest of three dates, 1860, 1861 and 1864. Silver four reales were minted 1860-94.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: .85 g, 0.875 fine gold, .023 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: KM 135.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, and Kent Ponterio, Ponterio sale 151: The 2009 Baltimore Auction, Irvine, CA: Bowers and Merena, 2009.
- 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.
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