Valdivia 1822 2 reales
This specimen was lot 752 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $2,280. The catalog description[1] noted, "Valdivia, Chile (emergency issue), billon 2 reales, 1822, rare, NGC XF 40. The formerly prosperous colonial city of Valdivia was heavily looted during the struggle for Chilean independence in 1820. Without enough coinage for daily commerce and payment to the local garrison, the governor was forced to collect silverware and any other silver items available from merchants and other residents in order to make coins. Some 4000 ounces of silver were amassed and sent to a new facility on an estate known as Chunimpa, under the supervision of its owner, Don Antonio Adriazola. The coins thus produced were known as "chunimpanas." Striking took place in 1822, in the denominations of 1, 2 and 8 reales, with a simple design consisting of the denomination, VA and date on the obverse and a column and three stars on the reverse. Because these "emergency" coins were unofficial and not even proper weight for their values, they were all called in by the Chilean government and melted. For that reason, surviving specimens are generally quite rare. This example is very dark in color, with smooth fields and bold details, with small natural crack above V, tied with one other for second finest in NGC census behind a single XF 45." The Don also issued billon one real and eight reales.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: KM-2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 28, featuring the Dr. Peter Jones and John O'Brien collections, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.
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