Mexico 1701-MXo L 4 escudos
This specimen was lot 22179 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $15,600. The catalog description[1] noted,
"MEXICO. 4 Escudos, 1701-MXo L. Mexico City Mint, Assayer L (Martin Lopez). Charles II. NGC MS-61. The only certified example of the date on either the NGC or PCGS population reports. Crowned arms of Spain, consisting of Castile and Leon, Catalonia - Aragon, Sicily, Granada, Austria, Burgundy, Brabant, Flanders and Tyrol; denomination "IIII" right (off flan), mintmark and assayers letter "oXML" left; legend around; Reverse: Box-tipped cross with fleurs-de-lis in quarters within beaded border, legend around. An attractive boldly struck example with a complete date, mintmark, partial shield, crown and full cross complemented by lovely pale gold color. An EXTREMELY RARE date for the type with few examples known. Sure to garner much attention from serious and advanced collectors. From the Las Colinas Collection. Ex: 1715 Plate Fleet."
All Mexican colonial gold may be considered scarce. This type is listed for 1679-1701. Most specimens lack dates.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-3; KM-54; Cal-Type 23 (date not listed); Cayón-7870 (plate coin), Grove-850 (under Philip V); Oro Macuino-not listed.
- 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.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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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