Santo Domingo (1542-57)-F P 4 reales
This specimen was lot 646 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $5,400. The catalog description[1] noted, "Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 4 reales, Charles-Joanna, assayer F to the left, extremely rare, ex-Jones (Plate Coin). Broad flan with bold legends and clear inner details despite very light surface corrosion (VF details, slightly weak in centers), contrastingly toned, a unique combination of Estrella #8 (obverse with F to left and oIIII to right) and #2 (reverse with P to left, S to right and motto PLV in between), a few tiny edge-splits, overall a rather presentable type-coin for this elusive issue. Pedigreed to the Dr. Peter Jones collection, plated on page 122 of his book The First Coins of the Americas (2020), and to the Ponterio auction of August 2000, with original lot-tag #598, also to our Auction 8, with original lot-tag #1547, and to our Auction 15, with original lot-tag #1069." Cayón notes two major varieties, this one with "F" on the left and the denomination "IIII" on the right, and Cayón-3126, with "F" and "IIII" reversed. This one is rare and Cayón-3126 is rarer. The Santo Domingo mint, located on the island of Hispaniola, operated only briefly before being overtaken by the enormous output of the Mexico mint. Half, one, two, four and ten reales are recorded in silver along with some copper.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 13.54 g, 0.931 fine silver, this specimen 11.42 grams.
Catalog reference: S-SD1; Cal-140; KM-35, Cayón-3125.
- 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.
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