Spain 1854 4 reales 7 point star
This type was struck in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville 1852-55. Instead of the traditional mintmarks the issues are distinguished by six, seven or eight pointed stars on the reverse (for Madrid, Seville and Barcelona). In 1850, the twenty reales was reduced to 26.91 grams and the copper maravedis dropped in favor of 1/20, 1/10 and 1/5 reales. Under the new system, this four reales was worth one fifth of a peso instead of the former half. Unfortunately, the government, financially prostrate as usual, was unable to remint the old coins, which continued to circulate as before. The coinage would be reformed a second time in 1866. The second specimen was lot 39694 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $480. The catalog description[1] noted, "SPAIN. 4 Reales, 1852. Seville Mint; mm: seven-pointed star. Isabel II. PCGS MS-63."
Recorded mintage: unknown but a scarce date.
Specification: 5.25 g, 0.900 fine silver, .152 troy oz ASW, 23.2 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Cayón-17030, KM 600.3.
- 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.
- O'Connor, Patrick, The Coins of Queen Isabel II of Spain: A Detailed Study of the Coins, Patterns and Medals of Her Reign, San Antonio, TX: Aurora Rarities, LLC, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
Link to:
- 1852(s) 2 reales
- 1853(b) 2 reales
- 1854-Seg 5 céntimos
- 1854-Seg 10 céntimos
- 1854-Seg 25 céntimos
- 1854(b) 4 reales
- 1854(b) 10 reales
- 1854(s) 10 reales
- 1854(m) 20 reales
- 1854(s) 20 reales
- 1854(b) 100 reales
- 1854(m) 100 reales
- 1854(s) 100 reales
- 1855(s) 2 reales
- return to coins of Spain
- Coins and currency dated 1854