Spain 1863 40 reales 6 point star
This specimen was lot 657 in Aureo sale 261 (Barcelona, July 2014), where it sold for €110 (about US$176 with buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"1863. Isabel II. Madrid. 40 reales. Parte de brillo original. MBC+. (Isabel II, 1833-68, forty reales of 1863, Madrid mint, some luster remaining, choice very fine.)"
This type was struck in Barcelona and Madrid 1861-64. Instead of the traditional mintmarks the issues are distinguished by six or eight pointed stars on the reverse (for Madrid 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: 522,229.
Specification: 3.33 g, 0.900 fine gold, .097 troy oz AGW (matches the old one escudo).
Catalog reference: Cayón-17269, Cal. 105, KM 616.2, Fr-332a.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Sisó, Teresa, Eduardo Domingo and Lluís Lalana, Subasta Pública 261, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2014.
Link to: