Peru 1737-L N 8 reales

photo courtesy Cayón Subastas

Cob eight reales were struck at the Lima mint 1701-46 for Philip V of Spain and became the "pieces of eight" of pirate lore. Specimens with legible dates bring triple those without. The fineness was lowered from 0.931 to 0.917 in 1725.

The specimen shown was lot 526 at Cayón Subastas auction held February 4, 2012, where it sold for 160 euros (about US$248 including buyer’s fees). The catalog description^[1] noted, "Lima. 8 reales. 1737. N. BC+ (Lima 8 reales 1737-N. Fine+.)"

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 27.07 g, 0.917 silver, 0.7980 oz ASW. This specimen 26.4 g.

Catalog reference: KM-34a; Cayón-9397.

Source:

• Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, vol. 1, 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.
• Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
• ^[1]Cayón Subastas, Auction February 2012: Highly Important Collection of Spanish and Latin American 8 Reales and other Coins from the Spanish Empire, Madrid: Cayón Subastas, 2012.
• Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.

Links to:

• 1736 8 reales
• Bolivia 1737-P E 8 reales
• Bolivia 1737-P M 8 reales
• Guatemala 1737-G J 8 reales
• Mexico 1737-Mo MF 8 reales
• 1737 8 escudos
• 1738 8 reales
• Coins and currency dated 1737
• return to coinage of Peru