My assumption is that this is a 1751 Cob 8 Reales - Potosi Mint. 26.7 Grams 30MM x 34MM Is it authentic? I have never owned one or even held one in my hand. To my inexperienced eye, it compares favorably to pictures of genuine pieces. If genuine, how is it graded and valued? Thank you in advance for any input.
Looks real, but its definitely not 1751, likely 1500s-1600s, but I don't know much about Spanish colonial silver.
The weight is near correct...from your image it looks good to my eye. However I cannot tell you 100% positive. Nice looking cob...I buy it if the price was right.
Dan Sedwick in Florida would be the man to contact. A real gentleman that is generous with his time and knowledge.
I believe you are correct, 751 appears on both sides. Check Sedwick's auction archives for similar cobs to get a sense of valuation.
Apparently I was wrong, the Spanish did mint crude cob silver up until the 1773. I always assumed cobs were phased out way earlier on.
Potosí minted 8 reales Macuquinas from 1652 to 1773 Potosí minted 8 reales columnarios (Pillar dollars) from 1767 to 1770 Potosí minted 8 reales portrait from 1772 to 1825
Looks real to me. Yes, I see 751, along with a P, which would make it a Potosi 8 Reales 1751. 26.7g is within the range one would expect for a cob (noting that they are often shaved etc). As others have mentioned, Sedwick is the authority on this. Given it will be fully attributable, I'd guess it would be worth around $200 or perhaps a bit more if you're patient. P.S - actually, I'm probably a bit conservative in my estimate above. You should be able to fetch $250 to $300
Nice @Chip Kirkpatrick Where (in general, I don't need to know your secrets) did you find them? I'm currently conducting some amateur research on the circulation of coins in colonial america. Any found coins are therefore of high interest.