Bolivia 1689-P VR 4 reales

Sedwick sale 27, lot 637

This specimen was lot 637 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 27 (Winter Park, FL, May 2020), where it sold for $178.50. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Potosí, Bolivia, cob 4 reales, 1689VR. Choice full cross (well centered), the pillars side slightly off-center and somewhat flat, Fine with toned fields, old scratches." Royals are known of this type from the Potosí mint but all are rare. The regular cob issues are not nearly as nice. The years 1649-52 were a period of reform at the Potosí mint; it was found that the previous mintmasters in office 1625-48 had been debasing the cobs, a crime for which one official paid with his life.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 13.54 grams, 0.931 fine silver, this specimen 13.33 grams.

Catalog reference: Cayón-7486, S-P40; KM-25; Cal-536.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• 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.
• Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
• ^[1]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 27, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.

Links to:

• 1688 real
• 1688 4 reales
• 1688 8 reales
• 1689-P ½ real
• 1689 8 reales
• 1690 4 reales
• 1692 2 reales
• Coins and currency dated 1689
• return to coins of Bolivia