Spain 1849-Seg 1/2 real

from the Stack's Bowers 2019 NYINC sale, lot 41383

This specimen was lot 41383 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2019), where it sold for $1,800. The catalog description^[1] noted, "SPAIN. 1/2 Real, 1849. Segovia Mint. NGC MS-65 BN. Also denominated 5 Decimas. A RARE date of a type struck 1848-53. Nearly flawless quality with warm orange color in the obverse centers and subtle red, mauve and blue over a significant portion of the remaining surfaces. Valued in the Standard Catalog of World Coins at $1,250 in EF-40 condition with the sale of an example slightly lesser than the present piece in a March 2017 Aureo and Calico auction for 1,400 Euros hammer confirming the desirability." This Spanish half real was struck in Segovia during the middle years of Isabel II (1833-68). The "de vellon" coinage system, used 1808-50, was finally dropped in 1852. The twenty reales was reduced to 26.91 grams and the copper maravedis dropped in favor of 1/20, 1/10 and 1/5 reales. This half real was struck in Segovia 1848-53 and in Jubia and Madrid. Unfortunately, the government, financially prostrate as usual, was unable to remint the old coins, which continued to circulate as before.

Recorded mintage: unknown but very scarce, verging on rare.

Specification: copper, 18.65-19.25 g, 31-32 mm diameter.

Catalog reference: Cayón-16765, KM-591.3, Cal-574.

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]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio, Matt Orsini and Cris Chatigny, The January 2019 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2018.

Link to:

• 1848-M copper ½ real
• 1849-J^A 2 maravedis
• 1849-Seg 4 maravedis
• 1849-J^A 8 maravedis
• 1849-M real de vellon
• 1849-M 2 reales de vellon
• 1849-M 4 reales de vellon
• 1849-M 20 reales
• 1850-Seg ½ real
• Coins and currency dated 1849
• return to coins of Spain