Spain 1860 real 8 point star
This specimen was lot 640 in Aureo y Calicó sale 261 (Barcelona, July 2014), where it sold for €57 (about US$91 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"1860. Isabel II. Barcelona. 1 real. Pátina. Bella. EBC+. (Isabel II, 1833-68, one real of 1860, Barcelona mint. Toned, handsome, choice extremely 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). 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 one real was worth one twentieth of a peso instead of the former eighth. 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 common.
Specification: 1.31 g, 0.900 fine silver, .038 troy oz ASW, 15.5 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: Cayón-16842, KM 606.1, Cal. 404.
- 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.
- [1]Sisó, Teresa, Eduardo Domingo and Lluís Lalana, COLECCIÓN ANASTASIA DE QUIROGA, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2011.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
Link to: