Mexico 1695-MXo L 8 escudos
This specimen was lot 22176 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $22,800. The catalog description[1] noted,
"MEXICO. 8 Escudos, 1695-MXo L. Mexico City Mint, Assayer L (Martin Lopez). Charles II. NGC AU-50. The only certified example of the date on either the NGC or PCGS population reports. Crowned coat of arms of Spain, consisting of Castile and Leon, Catalonia - Aragon, Sicily, Granada, Austria, Burgundy, Brabant, Flanders and Tyrol; denomination "VII" right (off flan), mintmark and assayers letter "oxML" left; legend around; Reverse: Bar-tipped jeweled cross with fleurs-de-lis in quarters all within shaped border within beaded border, legend around. All gold issues from the Mexico City mint struck in the name of Charles II should be considered very rare and highly desirable, let alone exhibiting aspects that one could use to fully identify and attribute individual pieces such as the present survivor. A partial date where the tops of the digits are off the flan "95" (based on digit contour) coupled with the Kings ordinal "II", and stylized jeweled cross that appears to have fallen out of use shortly after this date make attribution a fairly easy venture for the trained scholar of Mexican numismatics. As such dated gold cobs of Charles II exhibiting a date (or partials thereof) should be considered EXTRMELY RARE and highly coveted. Seldom does Mexican gold of this ruler appear on the market, let alone one of this caliber. Without question, this appearance is early example is sure to excite many advanced collectors. From the Las Colinas Collection."
All Mexican colonial gold may be considered scarce. This type is listed for 1679-1701. Most specimens lack dates.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.07 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-2; KM-56; Cal-Type 178 # 988; Cayón-7934; Grove-443; Macuquino-128; Onza-129.
- 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.
- 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.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- [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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