Hi y’all, Recently picked up some Spanish cobs and they are a bit worn and damaged. So, I could use some help getting a date range, a mint and if possible an assayer. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or comments or just want to share your own similar coins. Thanks for looking. Check out the coins below. First is a 2 escudo, second is a 4 real and lastly what seems to be a sea salvaged 8 reale. Thanks, Larry
They look intriguing and not blatantly fake. Alas, I lack the knowledge to be of any assistance here, but I will say you had me at “gold cob”. That’s something I’d like to own one day.
The top coin is a gold escudo or possibly 2 escudos. Weight will determine the denomination. It could be from Mexico or Spain - I would lean towards the latter. The middle coin is an 8 reales, Mexico, assayer F. There appears to be a partial date, perhaps (16)13 or (16)15. The final numeral has a curve that could be the lower part of a 3 or 5. The bottom coin is also from Mexico, an 8 reales that is clearly salvaged, probably Philip IV, no date visible.
Also intriguing is the slight glimpse of another (milled) gold coin in the last photo. I’d have better luck ID-ing that one!
Say, if anyone wants a chance at a free cob, there’s a Potosi 1-real in my Giveaway Gallery as of this posting (April 2024). The current giveaway (#111) is here.
By style, that top 2E is peninsular Spain, Philip II... should be Seville, 1588-97 (type with the date R of shield). Something was done to that coin at some point for some mounting purpose or similar - that's not just weak peripheral strike and/or heavy wear. What's the weight? robinjojo, on that 2nd piece, Mex 8R assayer F, I think we're seeing part of GRATIA rather than a 1610s date (discerning those T I A letters vs. a possible decade digit 1 can be tricky on these). 3rd piece is Mexico, definitively 1634-54 assayer P (easy to narrow by the pomegranate section of the shield). All are genuine. Shown below is proper rotation for all (3)... it helps visualize better, which makes recognizing features and attributing more intuitive:
Yes, now that I look at the second coin, the Mexican 8 reales cob, assayer F there appears to be suggestions of a T, followed by what must be an I, so it is an undated issue.
