Spain 1862 20 reales 8 point star
The specimen shown was lot 470 in Aureo y Calicó sale 233 (Barcelona, April 2011), where it sold for 3,800 euros (about US$6,327 including buyer's fee). The catalog description[1] noted,
"1862. Barcelona. 20 reales. Ligerísimas rayitas anverso. Golpecito. Bella. Parte de brillo original. Rarísima así. EBC+. (Twenty reales of 1862, Barcelona mint. Faint scratches on the obverse, some mint luster, nice, very rare thus, choice extremely fine.)"
This type was struck in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville 1856-64. 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. 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: 1,594,000 but still rare.
Specification: 25.96 g, 0.900 fine silver, .751 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: Cayón-17225, KM 609.1, Cal. 156, 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.
- 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.
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