Mexico 1809-Mo 1/4 real
This specimen, the smallest silver coin struck in colonial times, is an example of a type struck 1796-1816 thru the reigns of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII. The type is not rare tho slightly scarcer than contemporary half or one reales. Harris notes the following mints, in order of abundance: Santiago (commonest), Mexico, Lima, Guatemala, Potosi, Nuevo Reino and Popayán (rarest). The Republic of Mexico struck a silver quarter real 1842-63. It is not recorded if this coin circulated in the United States, but if so, it would have had a face value of 3-1/8 cents. The first specimen was lot 1966 in Sedwick sale 25 (Winter Park, FL, May 2019), where it sold for $95.20. The catalog description[1] noted, "Mexico City, Mexico, 1/4 real, 1809, inverted overdate. Cleaned VF, a rare error with inverted date covered by correct date."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.84 g, 0.896 fine silver, .048 troy oz ASW, the first specimen 0.82 gram.
Catalog reference: Cayón-14979, KM-62; CT-1411.
- Harris, Robert P., Pillars & Portraits, San José, CA: Bonanza Press, 1968.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 25, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2019.
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