Guatemala 1766-G P 4 Reales

from the Acanthite collection

from the Acanthite collection

Aureo sale 232, lot 1265

The first specimen is a 1766 four reales from the Guatemala mint, of a type issued 1760-71. All pillar coinage from Guatemala is scarce and many issues are rare. Gilboy^[1] notes this date as "R" or "rare". No varieties for this date are noted by Gilboy. Assayer "P" is noted for the years 1759-85. Unlike the other colonial mints, Guatemala seems to have issued more four reales than any other denomination. Gilboy marks the half, one and two reales as "rare" and the eight reales as "scarce" to "normal." None are marked as common. Guatemala issues are notably cruder than other mints.

The second specimen was lot 1265 in Aureo y Calico sale 232 (Barcelona, March 2011), where it sold for 1,500 euros (about US$2,475 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[2] noted,

"Carlos III (1759-1788). 1766. Guatemala. P. 4 reales. (Cal. 1049). Columnario. Restos de brillo original. Atractiva. Rara y más así. EBC/EBC-. (Charles III, 1759-88, 1766 four reales of Guatemala, pillar type, some mint luster, attractive and rare thus, nearly extremely fine)."

Mexican numismatists hotly debate which side of the coin constitutes the obverse. Gilboy^[1] depicts the shield side as the obverse as that side bears the king's name. However, auction catalogs and dealer listings more frequently use the pillars and globes side as the obverse, as that side bears the date.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 13.53 g, 0.917 fine silver, .399 troy oz ASW.

Catalog reference: Cayón-11713, G-4-15, KM 26.

Sources:

• 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, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• ^[1]Gilboy, Frank F., The Milled Columnarios of Central and South America: Spanish American Pillar Coinage, 1732 to 1772, Regina, Saskatchewan: Prairie Wind Publishing, 1999.
• Jara, Carlos M., Historia de la Casa de Moneda de Guatemala 1731-1776, Santiago, Chile: Andros Impresores, 2010.
• Gilboy, Frank F., The Milled Columnarios of Central and South America: Spanish American Pillar Coinage, 1732 to 1772, Regina, Saskatchewan: Prairie Wind Publishing, 1999.
• Yonaka, Brad, A Variety Guide to the Pillar Coinage of the Guatemala, Bogota, Lima, Potosi, and Santiago Mints, 1752-1771, Long Beach, CA: Agorocu Consulting, 2018.
• Raymond, Wayte, The Coins of Central America, Silver and Copper, 1824-1940, New York: Wayte Raymond Inc., 1941.
• Raymond, Wayte, The Coins of Central America, Silver and Copper, 1824-1940, New York: Wayte Raymond Inc., 1941.
• Robinson, Charles, The Coins of Central America, 1733-1965, San Benito, TX: 1965.
• Stickney, Brian, A Monetary History of Central America, New York: American Numismatic Society, 2017.
• ^[2]Sisó, Teresa, Eduardo Domingo and Lluís Lalana, Selección de 500 Monedas, Medallas y Billetes, Barcelona: Aureo y Calicó Subastas, 2011.

Link to:

• 1765 4 reales
• 1765 2 reales
• 1766 2 reales
• 1766 8 reales
• Bolivia 1766-P VY 4 reales
• Mexico 1766-Mo MF 4 reales
• Peru 1766-L JM 4 reales
• 1767 4 Reales
• Coins and currency dated 1766
• return to Guatemala