Mexico 1729-Mo R 4 reales
This specimen was lot 34144 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2022), where it sold for $7,200. The catalog description[1] noted,
"MEXICO. 'Royal' Presentation Cob 4 Reales, 1729-Mo R. Mexico City Mint, Assayer Nicolas de Roxas (R). Philip V. PCGS Genuine--Tooled, VF Details. The only certified example of the date and Assayer's letter on either the NGC or PCGS population reports. EXTREMELY RARE and highly desirable, this seemingly unimpressive coin offers collectors a chance to acquire an unpublished date from a series of specially prepared coinage. The obverse and reverse are in nearly perfect medal alignment struck on a round compact flan with bold full shield, denomination, mintmark and assayer's letter. While the reverse exhibits a full complete cross, lions and castles and most of the octolobe. Most of the obverse legends are off the flan with the relevant details such as the bottom of the king's ordinal and bottoms of the digits of the date. Close inspection reveals significant metal loss due to corrosion on both sides with minor encrustation in the crev[ic]es adding a bit of character. Despite its shortcomings a presentable example of the type that is certain to add depth to the next collection it enters. From the Pat Johnson Collection."
The silver cobs were debased from 0.931 fine to 0.917 fine in 1728. They are not rare but very scarce with legible dates.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.53 g, 0.917 fine silver, this specimen 11.30 g.
Catalog reference: Cayón-9038 (assayer D), KM-R47 (Unlisted date); Cal-Type 138 (Unlisted date); Grove-Unlisted.
- 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 Juan Carlos I, 1474 a 2001, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2008.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The 2022 ANA Auction - Ancients & World Coins - Featuring The Salton Collection Part III, the Augustana Collection and the Robert C. Knepper Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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