Peru 1753-L J escudo
This coin was minted in Lima, Peru, of a type struck 1751-53. The first specimen was lot 844 in Jean Elsen sale 105 (Brussels, June 2010), where it sold for 640 euro. The catalog description[1] noted,
"PEROU, Ferdinand VI (1746-1759), AV escudo, 1753 J, Lima. Droit : Tête à droite. Revers : Ecu couronné. Rare. presque Superbe." (Peru, Ferdinand VI, gold escudo, 1753 J, Lima mint. Obverse: head to right; reverse: crowned shield. Rare, almost Extremely Fine.)
The second specimen was lot 1261 in Sedwick Auction 37 (Winter Park, FL, May 2025), where it sold for $2,880. The catalog description[2] noted, "PERU, Lima, gold bust 1 escudo, Ferdinand VI, 1753 J, first bust, extremely rare, NGC / clipped, ex-Almenara. Strong details with very light toning over luster in legends, nice XF with edge lightly shaved off and re-applied in its time, with just one other known at NGC and by our records no others extant for this final date of the initial three-year type from this mint that Friedberg lists as "rare" without values. Pedigreed to the Almenara Collection." The fourth specimen was lot 41468 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $1,740. The catalog description[3] noted, "PERU. Escudo, 1753-LM J. Lima Mint. Ferdinand VI. PCGS Genuine--Tooled, EF Details. A VERY RARE issue, with only a couple of other examples appearing in our searches of auction records over the last 25 years-both of which also display some form of surface alteration. The present piece may have once been mounted, with some tooling performed in the fields and in the central area of the reverse, but much detail to the portrait has been retained. From the Richard August Collection." This type is very rare. A slightly revised bust (Fr-23) was used 1754-59.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.38 g, 0.917 fine gold, .099 troy oz AGW; the first specimen: 3.37 grams.
Catalog reference: C.C.T.-177; Cayón-10704; Cal-600; Fr-19, KM 56.1.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, Vente Publique 105, Bruseel: Jean Elsen, 2010.
- 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.
- 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 Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [2]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia, Cori Sedwick Downing, Connor Falk and Sarah Sproles, Treasure Auction 37, World, U.S Coins and Paper Money, featuring the Almenara Collection of Colonial Peruvian Gold Coins, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2025.
- [3]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2025 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Richard August Collection and the Richard Margolis Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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