Guatemala 1737-G J real

Heritage sale 3038, part of lot 35317

Sedwick Treasure Auction 28, lot 1603

Shown is a 1737 one real from the Guatemala mint, of a type issued 1733-1752. 1733 was the first year the Guatemala mint struck coinage, having first applied for authorization from the Spanish crown in 1714. The machinery was brought from Mexico City, and had already seen much service. As a consequence of that, and the fact that in Guatemala there were few people skilled in striking coins, production of milled coins equivalent to those being produced at Mexico City was not economically feasible^[2]. The endeavour was abandoned shortly thereafter and the mint began striking coins on irregular planchets without applying edge devices, which was achieved at an acceptable rate.

The first specimen was part of lot 35317 in Heritage sale 3038 (Dallas, January 2015), which sold for $705. The catalog description^[3] noted, "Colonial "cob" lot of 16 coins, Guatemala mint, KM2, KM3 & KM9. Lot of 15 coins of 1 Real (as follows: 1734, 1736, 1737(*), 1738(*), 1739(*), 1741, 1742, 1743/2, 1744(*), 1747, 1748(*), 1749(*), 1750, 1751, 1753) and one 1/2 Real 1751(*). The coins marked (*) unholed, the others pierced, all worn. A good date run, including many truly scarce pieces. From The Santa Maria Collection." Not all details of the coin are clear, but effort was made to position the date such that it would appear on the resultant coin. The second specimen was lot 1603 in Sedwick Treasure Auction 28 (Winter Park, FL, November 2020), where it sold for $51.60. The catalog description^[4] noted, "Guatemala, cob 1 real, (1)737(J). Bold 37 of date below nearly full pillars-and-globes, full but off-center shield with bold denomination I to right, no hole but with some edge-clipping (underweight), VG with contrasting toning. Pedigreed to the Sedwick Price List of Summer 2003."

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.

Specifications: 3.38 g, 0.917 fine silver, 0.099 oz ASW.

Catalog reference: Cayón-8523, S-G1; KM-3; Cal-358.

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 Felipe VI, 1474 a 2020, Barcelona: Aureo & Calicó, 2019.
• ^[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.
• ^[2]Jara, Carlos M., Historia de la Casa de Moneda de Guatemala 1731-1776, Santiago, Chile: Andros Impresores, 2010.
• ^[3]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3038, featuring the Empire, the Santa Catarina, the Law and the Santa Maria Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
• 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.
• ^[4]Sedwick, Daniel Frank, Augi Garcia and Cori Sedwick Downing, Treasure Auction 28, featuring the Dr. Peter Jones and John O'Brien collections, Winter Park, FL: Daniel Frank Sedwick LLC, 2020.

Link to:

• 1736 real
• 1737 ½ real
• 1737 2 reales
• 1737 4 reales
• 1737-G J 8 reales
• 1739 real
• Coins and currency dated 1737
• return to coins of Guatemala