Spain 1812-M AI real de vellon

photo courtesy Aureo y Calicó

This specimen was lot 1453 in a recent Aureo auction (Barcelona, Spain). This type was struck in Madrid 1812-13 at the end of the regime of José Napoleon, the French emperor's older brother. It is very scarce. The "de vellon" coinage system, used 1808-50, set 20 reales = 1 peso instead of the traditional eight. The coins minted using that standard were not marked in any way different from the concurrent eight reales standard, a source of confusion for collectors today, It must have been a major irritant for the inhabitants of the time.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 1.35 g, 0.903 fine silver, .039 troy oz ASW.

Catalog reference: KM 553, Cayón-14660.

Source:

• Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 2, 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• 1810-M 20 reales de vellon
• 1812-Seg 8 maravedis
• 1812-C 2 reales, Cadiz mint
• 1812-C 2 reales, Catalunya mint
• 1812-M IJ 2 reales
• 1812-M AI 4 reales de vellon
• 1812-S 4 reales de vellon
• 1812-C 4 reales, Catalunya mint
• 1812-M 10 reales
• 1812-C 8 reales, Catalunya mint
• 1812-M 8 reales
• 1812-M 20 reales
• 1812-S 20 reales
• 1812-C 2 escudos
• 1812-M 2 escudos
• 1812-M 80 reales
• 1812-M 320 reales
• 1813-M 2 reales
• Coins and currency dated 1812
• return to Spanish pre-decimal coinage (maravedis, reales and escudos)