Spain 1856 20 reales 7 point star
This specimen was lot 653 in Aureo y Calicó sale 261 (Barcelona, July 2014), where it sold for €144 (about US$231 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"1856. Isabel II. Sevilla. 20 reales. Muy escasa. MBC. (Isabel II, 1833-68, twenty reales of 1856, Seville mint. Very scarce, very fine.)"
This type was struck in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville 1857-64. Instead of the traditional mintmarks the issues are distinguished by six, seven or eight pointed stars on the reverse (for Madrid, Seville and Barcelona). This date is priced about double that of the Madrid issue for 1856 (KM 609.2). 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. 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.
Recorded mintage: unknown but a better date.
Specification: 25.96 g, 0.900 fine silver, .751 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Cayón-17208, Cal. 194, KM 609.3, Dav-334.
- 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.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns and Talers, Since 1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- 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, Subasta Pública 261, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2014.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
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