Mexico 1680-MXo L 4 escudos
The first specimen was lot 31316 in Heritage sale 3064 (Chicago, April 2018), where it sold for $84,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "The Earliest Known 4 Escudos of Mexico. The Calico Plate Coin. Charles II gold Cob 4 Escudos 1680 MXo-L VF30 NGC, Mexico City mint. Well-centered on both sides, displaying a clear 'MXo' mintmark and 'L' assayer initial as well as a fully legible denomination, displayed as 'IIIII' (the denomination reading 5 instead of 4 appears to be an error in the die and not the result of doubling, but more die study is needed to be definitive), and 'II' ordinal of Charles II. Most importantly, all four digits of the date, the earliest known for any Mexican gold coin other than the unique 1679 escudo, remain sharp and well-formed. Even wear determines the grade, with some reddish-brown debris within portions of the design recesses. Rare as a date, but extremely rare in this state, and possibly unique with a full date. One of the rarest types in the Mexican colonial gold series and of great historical importance as such...an item of immense desirability. Selections from the Isaac Rudman Numismatic Cabinet." All Mexican colonial gold may be considered scarce. This type is listed for 1679-1701. Most specimens lack dates. The second specimen was lot 19 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 38 (Winter Park, FL, November 2025), where it sold for $26,400. The catalog description[2] noted,
"MEXICO, Mexico City, gold cob 4 escudos, 1680/79 L, Jeweled Cross (1680-98), unique, PCGS AU55, ex-1715 Fleet. This important coin represents the first known gold issue of the Mexico City Mint, as it bears a visible date of 168 with a digit 7 under the 8, hence 1680/79 (not specified on label). While it is known from documents that gold began production in 1679, only one coin has been attributed to that date (a 1 escudo), and an article by Philip Flemming in the March 2013 issue of the U.S. Mexican Numismatic Association's Journal proves that that coin is of a later style. No other 1680s in any denomination are known, let alone the overdate 1680/79 as we see here. The "jeweled" cross and shield are bold and full, as is the oXML, with most of the peripheries flat and showing blunted edge-points (as made), light yellow in color and somewhat lustrous. From the 1715 Fleet."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.917 fine gold, .399 troy oz AGW, the first specimen 26.2 mm diameter, 13.4 g, the second specimen 13.41 grams.
Catalog reference: Fr-3; KM 54, Cal-101, Cayón-unlisted. The second specimen is S-M29; Cal-939 var (Type 163).
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach and Warren Tucker, Heritage World Coin Auction 3064, featuring the Doug Robins Collection of Canadian Tokens, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
- [2]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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