Peru (1568-71)-P R 2 reales
The first specimen was lot 536 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $660. The catalog description[1] noted, "Lima, Peru, 2 reales, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) to left, motto PL-VSVL-R, rare, ex-Jones (Plate Coin). Full and well-detailed shield and pillars-and-waves, off-center strike, bold XF details with traces of surface oxidation, some encrustation, dark toning around details, rare motto with the missing T probably covered by or incorporated into the pillar somehow. Pedigreed to the Dr. Peter Jones collection, plated on page 128 of his book The First Coins of the Americas (2020), and to our Auction 7, with original lot-tag #914." The second specimen was lot 2295 in Goldberg sale 122 (Los Angeles, June 2021), where it sold for $276. The catalog description[2] noted, "Peru. 2 Reales, ND (Lima). Philip II, 1556-1598. Obverse: Crowned arms, assayer R (Rincon) to right. Reverse: Pillars. Salvaged. Details of Very Fine." Many varieties exist of this crude type. The dots "● ●" indicating the denomination can be above or below the "PL-VSVL-R", the assayer "R" can be on the right or the left and the motto "PL-VSVL-[T]R[A]" has many variations. The Lima mint competed for silver with the Potosi mint (which was closer to the major mines) and colonial authorities closed it several times in the sixteenth century.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 6.77 g, 0.931 fine silver, the first specimen 6.37 grams; the second specimen 6.0 g.
Catalog reference: S-L1; KM-unl; Cal-unl., first specimen: Cayón-3588a; second specimen: Cayón-3589.
- 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.
- Krause, Chester L., and Colin R. Bruce II, Standard Catalog of World Coins: Spain, Portugal and the New World, Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2002.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 28, featuring the Dr. Peter Jones and John O'Brien collections, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.
- [2]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 122: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2021.
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