Hi guys! I recently picked up a few coins from a coin dealer that specializes in Spanish coins. Pictured below are 3 different 8 reales. I was wondering if anyone can tell me the mint, variety and estimated value are on these coins? I will say that the dealer admitted that the 1891 seems to have been cleaned. He also sold the Central American to me as a AU coin. What do you guys think? Thanks, Larry
The two Mexican coins, the left are "cap and rays" 8 reales. The top coin is from the Mexico City Mint, dated 1891, assayer AM. The coin below it is from San Luis Potosi, a provincial mint. The date is 1844 and the assayer is assayer AM. Here are the NGC references for those coins: Mexico City Mint https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide...km-377.10-1824-1897-cuid-1118135-duid-1422061 San Luis Potosi Mint https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide...-377.12-18-032-1893-cuid-1117784-duid-1422023 The 8 reales to the right was issued by the Central American Republic. It existed from July 1823 to February 1841 as a democratic republic. Your coin was struck by Guatemala (NG - Nueva Guatemala). The NG mint mark was used first in 1776 after a devastating earthquake in 1773 destroyed most of the old royal capital, necessitating the creation of a new capital, Nueva Guatemala. The five mountains on the obverse, if I recall correctly, represent the five countries comprising the CAR: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Getting back to your coin, it was minted in 1847, following the breakup of the CAR with the last year using this design being 1847. The assayer, on the reverse, is A. Of the three coins, this one is by far the best and scarcest. A lovely coin overall, for the obverse and the reverse is very decent, with a small rim bump, but nothing distracting. You've go a keeper, I think. And of course there's the beautiful sun rising next to mountains design on the obverse. The Mexican coins are common for the Mexico City coin and fairly common for the San Luis Potosi coin. Here's the NGC guide for Guatemala CAR 8 reales https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide...es-km-4-1824-1847-6-cuid-1035734-duid-1292680 To give you an idea how crude the Guatemala CAR 8 reales can be, here's one from my collection: Central America Republic, Guatemala (NG), 8 reales, 1825 M. KM 4 The parallel scratches on the obverse are adjustment marks from the mint. Coins that were overweight were reduced by the removal of metal using a sharp tool that cut lines of metal off the flan. This was done until the flan was within the weight standard for the denomination.
Thank you! I couldn’t have asked for a more thorough and precise response ! Someone just pointed out that the suns face is always somewhat melancholy. Do you happen to know what this symbolizes?
I think that's just the style of face that the engraver chose. I don't think it was meant to symbolize anything. With the classical Athenian owls (tetradrachms) there are a variety of mouth styles for Athena. Some collectors think the frown was intended to show Athens' misfortune in the disaster of the expedition against Syracuse in 413 BC, but there isn't really any evidence to support this idea.
