View source for Colombia 1849-B 2 reales KM-109

[[Image:Colombia SB818-44176o.jpg|300px|thumb|from the Stack's Bowers 2018 ANA sale, 44176]]
[[Image:Colombia SB818-44176r.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was lot 44176 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Philadelphia, August 2018), where it sold for $1,140. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "COLOMBIA. 2 Reales, 1849. Bogota Mint. VG-08 (PCGS). VERY RARE, as noted by SCWC and Restrepo. Honest, even wear and light gray toning. A solid example with no problems. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian Coins." Unlike Mexico, which converted directly from 8 reales = 1 peso to 100 centavos = 1 peso in the 1860's, Colombia took a roundabout route to decimalization. In colonial Colombia, two reales coins were 6.77 g, 0.896 fine, just like the rest of Spanish America. The chaos of the struggle for independence and the shortage of bullion affected the two reales as it did the other denominations. Cundinamarca issues (1815-16, KM C4) were 4.9 g, 0.583 fine; the "Libertad Americana" issue (1819-20, KM 76 and 77) were 5.9 g, 0.666 fine. The first two reales of the independent Nueva Granada (1839-46, KM 97) were 5.5 g, 0.666 fine. A modified design was issued 1849-53 (KM 105 and 109) and then the coin was redesignated a two décimos, struck 1854-58 (KM 117). In 1866, the fineness was lowered to .835 and struck at that standard 1866-74 (KM 149, 155, 159, 160) and a twenty centavos struck 1874-86 (KM 176, KM 178).

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown but rare.

''Specification:'' 5 g, 0.900 fine silver, .144 troy oz ASW.

''Catalog reference:'' KM-109; Restrepo-191.1. 

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed.'', Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
* Restrepo, Jorge Emilio, ''Monedas de Colombia, 1619-2006,'' Medellin, Colombia: Impresiones Rojo, 2006. 
* <sup>[1]</sup>Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio and Chris Chatigny, ''The August 2018 Philadelphia ANA Auction: World Coins and Selections from the El Dorado Collection of Colombian Coins,'' Santa Ana, CA: [http://www.stacksbowers.com Stack's Bowers LLC], 2018.

''Links to:''
* [[Colombia 1849-P 1/4 real|1849-P ¼ real]]
* [[Colombia 1849-B 2 reales KM-105|1849-B 2 reales, rosettes on reverse]]
* [[Colombia 1849 10 reales|1849 10 reales]]
* [[Colombia 1849-B 2 pesos|1849-B 2 pesos]]
* [[Colombia 1849-B RS 16 pesos|1849-B 16 pesos]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1849]]
* return to coins of [[Colombia]]

[[Category:Selections from the Stack's Bowers 2018 ANA sale]]