Mexico 1712-MXo J 4 escudos
This specimen was lot 22185 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (Newport Beach, CA, January 2021), where it sold for $18,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"MEXICO. 4 Escudos, 1712-MXo J. Mexico City Mint, Assayer J (Jose E. de Leon). Philip V. NGC MS-64. The single finest certified of the date on either the NGC or PCGS population reports, none finer. Only 3 total pieces graded at NGC, none at PCGS. Crowned arms of Spain, consisting of Castile and Leon, Catalonia - Aragon, Sicily, Granada, Austria, Burgundy, Brabant, Flanders and Tyrol; denomination "VII" right (mostly off flan), mintmark and assayers letter "oXML" left; partial legend around; Reverse: Bar-tipped cross with fleurs-de-lis and curved ornamental accents in quarters all within a beaded border, legend around. An EXTREMELY RARE date with only a few known survivors. The central devices are quite bold though with a nicely detailed partial shield and nearly full complete cross, the pertinent digits of the date and mintmark/assayers letter. An attractive example of the type let alone of this seldom encountered date certain to see spirited bidding from serious collectors. From the Las Colinas Collection."
All Mexican colonial gold may be considered scarce. This type is listed for 1702-13. Most specimens lack dates.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.53 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: Fr-7a; KM-55.1; cf. Cal-Type 262 # 2027; Cayón-9807, Grove-861; Oro Macuqino-108.
- 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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