Zacatecas 1838-Zs 1/4 real KM-NC11

From CoinVarieties
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Stack's Bowers ANA sale, lot 41350
SB824-41350r.jpg

This specimen was lot 41350 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Chicago, August 2024), where it sold for $20,400. The catalog description[1] noted,

"A Dazzling Gem Pattern Cuartillo for Zacatecas, MEXICO. Zacatecas. Brass 1/4 Real Pattern, 1838-Zs. Birmingham (Soho) Mint. NGC MS-65. Non-circulating private issue pattern. An incredible Gem exemplar of this VERY RARE pattern issue for Zacatecas. The crisp matte devices contrast stunningly against the hard, reflective fields. All around, a saturated brassy complexion takes hold, making the piece stand out further still. This well-made and highly original specimen would be a prized entrant into even the most advanced collections of Mexican patterns or state coppers.

The series of Soho Mint pattern Cuartillos, struck for various Mexican mints and all dated 1838, have always stood out for their distinctive style and high-quality manufacture. This period of the young Mexican Republic saw a shift towards federalism, wherein the central mint at Mexico City took over administration of the provincial mints, exacerbating the general shortage of circulating copper specie. This presented an opportunity for the enterprising Soho Mint, which could now offer its services to a single central authority rather than deal with the multitude of provincial mints. It seems likely that a contract was imminent before an untimely interruption by the first French intervention in Mexico, commonly known as the "Pastry War", in 1838. With the deal scuttled, these pattern issues began their path towards becoming the fascinating numismatic curiosities that they are today. For more information, see Pablo Luna Herrera's The Mexican Pattern Coin "Cuartillas" from the Soho Mint (2022). From the EMO Collection."

The maker of this likely also made KM NC10 and KM NC6.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: brass.

Catalog reference: EMO-3186 (Plate coin); KMX-NC11; Buttrey-11.

Source:

  • Bailey, Don, State & Federal Copper and Brass Coinage of Mexico, 1824-1872, Hemet, CA, 2008.
  • Buttrey, T. V., and Clyde Hubbard, A Guide Book of Mexican Coins, 1822 to date, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1992.
  • Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Unusual World Coins, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011.
  • [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2024 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Emilio M. Ortiz Collection, The Richard Margolis Collection and The Rutherford Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.

Link to:

Retrieved from "https://coinvarieties.com/index.php?title=Zacatecas_1838-Zs_1/4_real_KM-NC11&oldid=424416"