Bolivia 1628-P T 8 reales
This specimen was lot 53757 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Pittsburgh, PA, August 2023), where it sold for $432. The catalog description[1] noted, "BOLIVIA. Cob 8 Reales, 1628-P T. Potosi Mint. Philip IV. NGC VF-20." Royals are known of this type from the Potosí mint but all are rare. The regular cob issues are not nearly as nice. The years 1649-52 were a period of reform at the Potosí mint; it was found that the previous mintmasters in office 1625-48 had been debasing the cobs, a crime for which one official paid with his life. Assayer T operated 1626-36 and 1643-48 and was probably deeply implicated in the debasement fraud. Assayer P is also recorded for 1628.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 27.07 g, 0.931 fine silver, this specimen 27.2 g.
Catalog reference: KM-19A; Cal-1451, Cayón-6253.
- 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.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Menzel, Sewall, Cobs, Pieces of Eight and Treasure Coins, New York: The American Numismatic Society, 2004.
- Paoletti, Emilio, 8 Reales Cobs of Potosí, 2nd Ed., Buenos Aires, 2006.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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