I've always wanted one of these coins so made the plunge despite not knowing much about the coin or category. Bottom line is that I'm happy to have it, even if I overpaid. I have stayed away from "details" coins, but honestly couldn't see the graffiti even under magnification. Would like to know approximate retail value, mintage, and if these detail marked coins trade well. I'm thinking that in the future, I wouldn't buy a raw coin of this type.
Something is scratched out in front of the chin. Can't make it out with photo. What does reverse look like?
Reverse is the 3rd picture under the others. With a stronger glass, I can see some hairline type scratches at about 8 o'clock.
Do they consider old cleaning scratches (if that's what they are, graffiti?) I don't understand their use of the word. Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted, typically illicitly, on a wall or other surface, often within public view. I guess scratched is the usage.
I'll bet you that (almost) invisible graffiti allowed you to get that at a good price. I love it. I would bust it out of that slab, probably unpopular here, but I would get more enjoyment out of it raw.
I considered it a good price at $125, although I couldn't find anything to support that. Previous sale was listed on the PCGS website and showed $69. So he flipped it and made money and I'm happy too.
Be happy with your 8 reales. It has nice eye appeal and the TrueView really shows off the obverse toning. @GDJMSP has answered about the mintage, but why do you care? Examples from this year are no more scarce than any other for this type. Yours was minted during the conflict for independence -- even so, the Potosí mint continued to churn out large quantities of 8 reales. Independence armies from Buenos Aires took over the mint in 1813 and 1815 to produce their own coins but as they were forced to retreat the Royalist issues started right back up. The last issues of this type were minted in 1825. I have one 1822 PTS PJ 8 reales in my collection. It's an NGC certified AU-55 and I paid $169 in 2012. One interesting connection with your coin is that this type definitely circulated in the U.S. even through the Civil War. I've just acquired this obsolete bank note from the Corporation of Richmond Virginia issued on April 19th, 1861 and it has a very similar coin's reverse pictured as the example of one dollar.
Thanks for your response. I hadn't been aware of TrueView. Mintage is just a piece of information I like to have. If I think the mintage is significantly low, I list it in my database. I didn't think I had a rarity with this one, just a nice example. That's an interesting note! edited to fix quote tags
Edit; Looked at the photos on PCGS site and the scratches on both sides of the bust are very obvious.
A pretty coin with what appears to be original toning. Yes, it does have what looks like a faint 'B' scratched on the field in front of the bust, but it is not obtrusive. The price you mention is a fair price. Potosi continued to mint coins for the Spanish king Fernando VII until 1825. Alto Peru (present day Bolivia) with is mint at Potosi was the last major hold-out of the Spanish crown in the Americas. You coin was minted very close to the end of a very long period, almost 300 years, of Spanish dominion in Latin America. This coin in my collection dated 1824 was the last major issue struck by the Spanish crown in the neighbouring Viceroyalty of Peru at the capital, Lima.