Peru 1702-L H 4 escudos
This specimen was lot 45 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $31,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "Lima, Peru, cob 4 escudos, 1702H, extremely rare, NGC AU 55, finest known. Broad flan with choice full cross-lions-castles, much legend outside full pillars-and-waves with weak but certain final digit of date, light reddish toning on fields. With photo-certificate from Philip Flemming that says "very likely came from a wreck of the 1715 Fleet, though details of its salvage are not recorded." CORRECTION TO PRINTED CATALOG: By our records (and confirmed by several experts), this is the only known specimen (and therefore finest graded) of this date and denomination, presumably the first Lima issue in this denomination for Philip V." Cob four escudos were struck at the Lima mint 1702-45 for Philip V of Spain and became the "double pistoles" of pirate lore. Assayer H is recorded for 1696-1710.
Reported Mintage: 3,750.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.917 fine gold, .399 troy oz AGW, this specimen 13.40 grams.
Catalog reference: Cayón-9778, S-L25a; KM-37; Cal-1998.
- 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 Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- 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.
- [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.
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