Authentic Spanish Cob - 8 Reales - Dated 1775 - Mounted in Sterling Silver
$1,200
- Denomination: 8 Reales
- Date: 1775
- Reign: King Carlos III
- Mint: Potosi, Peru
- Assayer: J.R.
- Weight: 36.13 gm
- Coin design: Pillar Dollar Style
- Mount: sterling silver band
- Artifact Number: ID13810
History: During the reign of Carlos III, a new type of design was adopted for silver coins with the laureate bust of the monarch. The first coins of Charles IV appeared with the image of Charles III, until the new dies arrived. Similarly, when Ferdinand VII took the Spanish throne in 1808, as the new dies were slow to arrive, they decided to mint with an imaginary bust of the king. Hence, those issued in Lima between 1808 and 1811 are known as the Busto limeño. As early as 1810 coins began to be minted with the authentic bust of Ferdinand VII. The Screw Press guaranteed a near-perfect round coin, with a milled edge to prevent anyone from tampering with the silver. This also reduced the need to weigh each coin as it was produced, allowing a faster production rate from the Mint to shipment to Spain. These types of coins were widely preferable to do business and pay taxes with because they possessed a full border, making them harder to counterfeit and shave pieces off, which was increasingly becoming problematic in the Empire.
ID13810
