Spain 1815-M GJ 2 escudos

Heritage sale 3067, lot 32341

This specimen was lot 32341 in Heritage sale 3067 (Long Beach, September 2018), where it sold for $1,680. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Spain: Ferdinand VII gold 2 Escudos 1815/4 M-GJ MS63+ NGC, Madrid mint. Very rare, the only certified example for this type; and despite its lack of competition, this 2 Escudos would still be in an unusually high grade for the issue. Approaching prooflike in its reflectivity, this highly lustrous choice Mint State offering exhibits a bold strike giving high relief to the devices and an overall high eye appeal. A scarce overdate for the connoisseur of the series." This type was issued at Madrid and Seville 1814-33 and is the last issue of the traditional gold two escudos, altho the eighty reales of Isabel II (KM 578) was the same weight and fineness. The Seville mint issues are awarded a premium over the Madrid product. Unlike the two escudos of the Latin American mints, the two escudos of Spain are fairly common. Assayer GJ is listed for 1813-20.

Recorded mintage: unknown but scarce.

Specification: 6.77 g, 0.875 fine gold.

Catalog reference: Cayón-16247 (overdate), KM 483.1.

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 Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
• Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• ^[1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2018 September 6-11 Long Beach Expo World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3067, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.

Link to:

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• return to Spanish pre-decimal coinage (maravedis, reales and escudos)