Spain: gold half-escudo of Ferdinand VI, 1759-JB, Madrid mint

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Definitely one of my favorite coins you've bought lately.

 

I love any coin from Spain! A 10!

 

Nice coin but this one is right in the middle for me at a 5 (maybe I'm a bit biased after seeing the city view first).

 

For the record, JB on this 1759 half escudo refers to the two “ensayadores”, (assayers, mint-masters) J for Joseph Tramullas y Ferrer and B for Bernardo Muñoz de Amador.

Tramullas worked in the Barcelona mint from 1735 until he was appointed second or junior ensayador in Madrid in 1744 under Antonio de Cardeña, hence AJ on Madrid coins until 1747 when Cardeña died and Tramullas signed alone, J, until May 1747 when he was appointed Ensayador Primero and Bernardo Muñoz was appointed as second ensayador.

The two worked together from 1747, marking their initials JB until Muñoz died in January 1759 when Tramullas once again marked with his sole initial until 14th September 1759 when he was promoted to the top post of Ensayador del Reino.

Thus there are three separate mint masters marks and four varieties for 1759:

JB Joseph Tramullas & Bernardo Muñoz: 95,048 half escudos Fernando VI

J Joseph Tramullas: 852,948 half escudos Fernando VI

J Joseph Tramullas: 47,002 half escudos Carlos III

JP Juan Rodríguez Gutiérrez (1st ensayador) & Pedro Cano (2nd ensayador) : 286318 half escudos Carlos III

Source: Casa de Moneda de Madrid, Cantidades Acuñadas y Ensayadores, 1614-1868 by Glenn Stephen Murray Fantom, published 2014 by Amigos de la Casa de la Monea de Segovia.

 

@lordmarcovan You can find the publication by Murray, Glenn: Guía de los marcos acuñados y ensayadores de la Casa de la Moneda de Madrid (1615-1868) at
http://www.siaen.org/documents/10901/11639/1993+-+233/e5089b3f-7a6b-4285-bf5b-e64896f71835

On page 331 (see attached) there is the number 728 followed by a black square, which stands for "Moneda conocida, marcos acuñados". As far as I understand that means there are 728 "marcos acuñados". Don't know if that is the number of dies or the mintage or something else, maybe you can figure it out. Your ½ Escudo is very beautiful and it seems to be scarce. Congrats, well done !!

 

Nice one! That coin has beautifull toning! Congrats on nice addition. Here is mine from 1764.
John

 

Thanks! I only have little time now, my work is super hectic/ put in 54 days straight/ 13 hrs+. Had a mild heat stroke yesterday, its been hot/ humid/ 30+celsius last ten days. I usually work on my auction bids after supper, 10:30-11:00 PM. I was able to score 22 AV coins in past two months.

 

The "marco castellano" was the standard weight for gold and silver, equivalent to 230 grams. A mint or casa de moneda would be supplied with x number of marcos and in the case of silver had to produce 67 reales.

For gold, between 1535 and 1771, a mint had to produce 68 escudos in 1, 2. 4 or 8 escudos of 22 carat gold.

The half escudo, from 1742 to 1786 was minted with 21 carat gold and weighed 1.762 gms. There were 130.56 half escudos to the marco.From 1786 onwards the gold in the half escudo was lowered to 20 carats

Weights were always very strictly controlled and mints were only permitted a tolerance equivalent to 0.899 gms of silver and 0.29 gms of gold per marco

 

The Escudos coinage was of .875 fineness/ compared to British gold guineas/ sovereigns which where of .916 (21 carats) Dukaten .986 used in Swiss Cantons/ German States/ HRE.

 

Glen Murray, author of two well documented books on the mints of Segovia and Madrid (among other works) says without any hesitation that 1/2 escudos were 21 carat.

What us your source, Panzerman?

 

PS While it is a very useful tool, especially in areas where I am not an expert, I have come across errors in Numista more than once.

 

Sorry about confusion/ I must confess that I am stupid. I always thought that Escudo coinages from Latin American/ Colonial period where .875. But, I now know that the Spanish mints changed to .875 after Carlos III/ Ferdinand VI and earlier Kings issued .917 gold coinage. So Lordmarcovan and all others where correct. Thanks all for educating me, always learn something on forum
John