Peru 1733-L N 1/2 real
This specimen was lot 560 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $3,900. The catalog description[1] noted, "Lima, Peru, cob 1/2 real Royal (galano), 1733N, very rare, NGC XF details / holed. Broad, round flan with choice full interior details but very little in the periphery (still unmistakably a presentation issue), deeply toned around the elements, with inevitable hole below cross, unlisted in references (in fact the first we have ever seen or heard of)." In 1728, the fineness was reduced from 0.931 to 0.917 and an assayer's initial was added to the half real. This type was struck 1729-47 and is common tho the "royals" are rare. The SCWC does not list any royals for the half real denomination. The Mexico City mint was converted to milled coinage in 1732-34 but Lima would not follow suit until 1751.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.69 g, 0.917 fine silver, this specimen 1.58 grams.
Catalog reference: S-L21; KM-30a ("royal" not listed); Cal-unl (Type 47), Cayón-8234.
- 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.
- 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]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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