Spain 1855 real 7 point star
The first specimen was lot 364 in Aureo y Calicó sale 232 (Barcelona, March 2011), where it sold for 110 euros (about US$182 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[1] noted,
"1855/4. Sevilla. 1 real. Bellísima. Pleno brillo original. Escasa así. S/C-. (One real of 1855, Seville mint, 1855/4 overdate. Beautiful with much mint luster, scarce thus; about Uncirculated.)"
The second specimen was lot 2357 in Goldberg sale 122 (Los Angeles, June 2021), where it sold for $204. The catalog description[1] noted, "Spain. Real, 1855 (Seville). Isabel II. Original mint luster. NGC graded MS-63+." This type was struck in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville 1852-55. Instead of the traditional "M" and "S" mintmarks the issues are distinguished by six, seven or eight pointed stars on the reverse (for Madrid, Seville and Barcelona). The "de vellon" coinage system, used 1808-50, was finally dropped. 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. Unfortunately, the government, financially prostrate as usual, was unable to remint the old coins, which continued to circulate as before.
Recorded mintage: unknown but common.
Specification: 1.31 g, 0.900 fine silver, .038 troy oz ASW, 15.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Cayón-16826, KM 598.3, Cal. 437 var.
- 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, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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.
- [1]Sisó, Teresa, Eduardo Domingo and Lluís Lalana, COLECCIÓN ANASTASIA DE QUIROGA, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2011.
- [2]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 122: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2021.
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