Some Nice Toned Mexican 8 Reales

This is an 1875-Ga (Guadalajara) MC 8 Reales, certified MS64 by our hosts, Pop 1 in this grade with none finer. Another piece with strictly original surfaces, just the way I like them. I have seen so many 8 Reales with washed-out surfaces that look like they have been dipped repeatedly, just like many Morgan dollars. I wonder how similar the two countries' series histories are, given that Morgan dollars were struck only starting in 1878, while the Cap and Rays 8 Reales came to life more than a half-century earlier ... Still, it is clear that there were immense quantities of gold and silver washing around Mexico far earlier than in the United States ... Were these coins stored in bags in banks and shipped around internationally, first under Spain, then under Mexico, like Seated and Morgan dollars were, and their gold counterparts? I wonder how many 8 Reales were struck compared to the vast quantities of Morgans. It certainly appears that the earlier 8 Reales dates from some scarce mints are seen far less often than the later ... Given how long the series is overall from 1823–1897 (I think the PCGS Registry Set contains over 1100 coins), I have seen relatively few mintage figures.

So many questions, so little time!

Kind regards,

George

 

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Thar eagles bad ass

 

That's a rattlesnake in it's mouth!

 

An 1892-Pi (San Luis Potosí) MR 8 Reales, MS64 PCGS, the only one in this grade with one MS65 finer. The MR signifies assayer Mariano Reyes, whose confirmed service was 1886–1893. (The MR of 1879–1880 was also possibly the same man, per Dunigan and Parker.) Two notes: One. How can people write an entire book about Spanish coins and not include a single accent or eñe (ñ)? The word is Potosí (pronounced poe-toe-SEE, not Potosi which would be pronounced poe-TOE-see.) And it's jalapeño, not jalapeno. And thank you for allowing my little minirant. Two. The mints (and cities) of San Luis Potosí and Potosí are different. The former is in Mexico, the latter is in Bolivia. The mint in Bolivia is called the Casa Nacional de la Moneda, opened in 1572. The mines in Potosí were the richest in the world and mined more silver than any others. The mint at San Luis Potosí is in the capital city of the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, and it has a much shorter history than its Bolivian namesake (and sister city). It opened in 1827 and struck only 8 Reales in quantity, although fractional pieces are known. It closed in 1893.

And an 1894-Ho (Hermosillo) FG 8 Reales, MS63 PCGS, Pop 5 in this grade with one finer—although I doubt any of the others have such spectacular color and strike! The FG acronym is for assayer Fausto Gaxiola, whose tenure was 1886–1895. Hermosillo is the capital city of the Mexican state of Sonora. It first struck 8 Reales illegally from 1835–1839 (these are very rare), and legally from 1861–1895. Dunigan and Parker write that most of the issue was sent to the Orient, and given the limited span of authorized mintages, it must be considered one of the scarcer mints that struck the series. It closed in 1895.

Kind regards,

George

 

That 1894 is off the charts, you have an awesome collection George.

I just found the 1822-1823 piece, oh my gosh...

 

This is probably my favorite 8 Reales of the recent hoard I have acquired, although the 1877-Go in the OP, as well as Twelfth Day (stay tuned), are definitely in the running as well. This is an 1856/5 overdate Mexico (Mo) 8 Reales, MS64 Pop 1/0 currently at PCGS. The color is absolutely phenomenal as you can see, the preservation is excellent, and as the sole representative of this important mint that I currently own among the Cap and Rays series, it has some superb credentials on all counts.

I think this is one coin that may go into the Box of 20 ... I am just not sure i can bear to sell it. Time will tell. Or not. Why am I so easily distracted?

(Strains of Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Sonnet" on the inelasticity of love waft through my head ... Oh, why not, let's just go ahead and post it. The sonnet, not the coin on my website.)

Sonnet

I shall forget you presently, my dear,
So make the most of this, your little day,
Your little month, your little half a year,
Ere I forget, or die, or move away,
And we are done forever; by and by
I shall forget you, as I said, but now,
If you entreat me with your loveliest lie
I will protest you with my favourite vow.
I would indeed that love were longer-lived,
And oaths were not so brittle as they are,
But so it is, and nature has contrived
To struggle on without a break thus far,—
Whether or not we find what we are seeking
Is idle, biologically speaking.
—Edna St. Vincent Millay

Kind regards,

George

 

Thank you @Chiefbullsit, I am glad you like them. I am enjoying learning about this new area of numismatics for me. At least for half a year, ere I die, or move away ...

Kind regards,

George

 

The late-series Cap and Rays 8 Reales are more widely seen than earlier issues, of course, and Zacatecas was among the most prolific mints striking this long-running series. Even so, this 1893-Zs FZ 8 Reales in MS66 PCGS is one of two in this highest grade for the issue. More importantly, it is one of only 39 in MS66 (three of them MS66+) for the entire design type, all dates, all mints.

It doesn't hurt, either, that it features absolutely stunning toning in two different color palettes on the obverse and reverse. Numerous small die cracks on the obverse indicate that this die was on its last legs, but they were clearly stamping them out hard and fast in 1893 Zacatecas—more than 3.8 million coins, according to Buttrey and Hubbard. Nonetheless, this piece is strongly—I might even go for fully—struck, even though the planchet was a trifle off-center in the die, and features gorgeous, thick luster

I was really, really fortunate to acquire these coins, and I paid strong money to get them. As a coin dealer for more than a half-century now (part-time for much of that span), I certainly recognize exceptional quality in an original, newfound hoard of coins on those rare occasions when one finds it, and I was ready and willing to step up to the plate. I am going to enjoy them for a while. Probably not as long as I might like.

I was thinking about that cute Edna St. Vincent Millay sonnet, and for collectors and dealers I might change the ending couplet thusly:

Whether or not we find what we are seeking
Is idle, numismatically speaking.

Thank you for the kind compliments and for reading my little essays. Alas, thus ends my little hoard, save for the sole Charles IIII 8 Reales that it on its way to me, thanks to @RomanTheRussian.

I am sure I will continue learning much more about Spanish colonial and Mexican numismatics (and their history; that's part of the fun for me, as well), so I may in future be posting a few more coins. Or not.

Kind regards,

George

 

Really enjoyed this tread George, one heck of a collection.

 

Pretty collection. Great thread. I learned a lot.

 

Thanks @Chiefbullsit and @ldhair, those are some of the rewards of numismatics. Never an end to new things to learn, and one can always benefit from those who have come before and share their own expertise. (I would not yet say that I have any in this series; I'm just a neophyte with some extremely nice coins.)

Kind regards,

George

 

Well here's one more that I acquired courtesy of another member here who goes by @RomanTheRussian. Charles IIII 8 Reales, AU53 PCGS, original surfaces with lots of eye appeal and historicity. This is an "overassayer" (one assayer's initials over another, sort of like an overdate), FT/M. The many varied mints of the Spanish Empire including its (former) colonies, overdates, overassayers, portrait and Pillar design types and others, gold, silver and copper coinage, provide endless variety to the Spanish numismatic series, which I am quite sure is underexplored and underappreciated.



Kind regards,

George

 

I know this doesnt fall into resplandores, but it's a beautiful coin. I just purchased the resplandores book and look forward to reading it. I think this is a beautiful series and I look forward to getting some more really nice pieces for type.

 

Well, the one peso silver coins were the successors to the eight reales (and then the gorgeous Caballito design followed those), so it's a completely logical progression ... and a really pretty coin too! Thanks for sharing @kazuma78 !

Kind regards,

George

 

This one would count on this thread. I just got the grade back today- NGC assigned it MS64

 

Why are some if not most 1821 Zacatecas 8R's look as if they been IMPROPERLY CLEANED? JOHN LORENZO U.S..