Spain 1847-M CL real

CNG Lissner collection, lot 928

This specimen was lot 928 in Classical Numismatic Group's sale of the Lissner Collection (Chicago, August 2014), where it sold for $302.50. The catalog description^[1] noted, "SPAIN, Reino de España. Isabel II. 1833-1868. AR Real. De Vellon coinage. Madrid mint. José Luis de Castroviejo and Eugenio de Lara, assayers. Dated 1847 M CL. (De Vellon coinage, weight of ~1.3 g). In NGC encapsulation graded MS 64. Faintly toned choice BU. Highest graded specimen. Purchased from M. Louis Teller, June 1975." This type was struck in Madrid and Seville 1837-49. The Spanish "de vellon" coinage system, used 1808-50, set twenty reales = one peso instead of the traditional eight. The coins minted using that standard were not marked in any way different from the concurrent eight reales standard, a source of confusion for collectors today, It must have been a major irritant for the inhabitants of the time. In 1850 the currency was decimalized and the twenty reales reduced to 26.91 grams.

Recorded mintage: 178,325 (included with 1848-M).

Specification: 1.35 g, 0.812 fine silver, .039 troy oz ASW (not 3.38 g as stated in the SCWC), 14.2-14.6 mm diameter, this specimen Ø14 mm, 1.47 g, 12h axis.

Catalog reference: Cayón-16805, KM 518.1.

Source:

• 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.
• 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.
• ^[1]Teller, M. Louis, and Victor England, Jr., The Richard Lissner Collection, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2014.

Link to:

• 1845-M real de vellon
• 1843-B 80 reales
• 1847-Seg 2 maravedis
• 1847-J^A 4 maravedis
• 1847-Seg 4 maravedis
• 1847-J^A 8 maravedis
• 1847-M 2 reales
• 1847-B 4 reales
• 1847-M pattern 20 reales
• 1847-S 80 reales
• 1848-M real de vellon
• Coins and currency dated 1847
• return to Spanish pre-decimal coinage (maravedis, reales and escudos)