Spain 1861 100 reales 6 point star
The first specimen was lot 677 in Aureo sale 261 (Barcelona, July 2014), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted,
"1861. Isabel II. Madrid. 100 reales. Brillo original. EBC. (Isabel II, 1833-68, hundred reales of 1861, Madrid mint, lustrous, extremely fine.)"
The second specimen was lot 43458 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $720. The catalog description[2] noted, "SPAIN. 100 Reales, 1861. Madrid Mint. Isabel II. NGC MS-63." This type was struck 1856-62 at Seville, Madrid (shown here) and Barcelona. 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. 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: 1,217,042.
Specification: 22 mm diameter, 8.38 g, 0.900 fine gold, .242 troy oz ASW, reeded edge.
Catalog reference: Cayón-17384, Fr-331a, Cal. 26, KM 605.2.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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, Subasta Pública 261, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2014.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The January 2023 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Taraszka Collection and the Mark and Dottie Salton Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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