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Spain and Spanish America
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Coins of Spain and the Spanish Empire circulated extensively in the American colonies, the Caribbean, and in Asia.
 
The Spanish colonial silver eight reales coin was the famous "piece of eight" and the basis for the United States dollar. The Spanish colonial gold eight escudos coin was the famous "doubloon." The Spanish mainland silver two reales coin was the famous "pistareen." Spanish copper coins also circulated as "small change" along with many other foreign coins and tokens.
 
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Spain gold coins:
 
Spanish America eight escudos 1749 Mexico City
1. Spanish America gold eight escudos "doubloon" 1749, Mexico City
Gold, 37 mm, 26.98 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
FERDND VI D G HISPAN ET IND REX 1749
(Ferdinand VI, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
NOMINA MAGNA SEQUOR (I succeed great names)
8 S (8 Scudi, Latin for escudos)
Mo MF (Mexico City Mint, Assayers initials)
 
Spanish America eight escudos 1806 Mexico City
2. Spanish America gold eight escudos "doubloon" 1806, Mexico City
Gold, 38 mm, 26.97 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROL IIII D G HISP ET IND R 1806
(Charles IV, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
IN UTROQ FELIX AUSPICE DEO (For both sides, happiness under the auspices of God)
8 S (8 Scudi, Latin for escudos)
Mo TH (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)
 
Spanish America eight escudos 1808 Mexico City
3. Spanish America gold eight escudos "doubloon" 1808, Mexico City
Gold, 36.5 mm, 27.00 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
FERDIN VII D G HISP ET IND R 1808
(Ferdinand VII, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
IN UTROQ FELIX AUSPICE DEO (For both sides, happiness under the auspices of God)
8 S (8 Scudi, Latin for escudos)
Mo TH (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)
 
Spain two escudos 1776 Madrid
4. Spain gold two escudos "pistole" 1776, Madrid
Gold, 23.0 mm, 6.74 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROL III D G HISP ET IND R 1776
(Charles III, by the Grace of God, King of Spain and the Indies)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
IN UTROQ FELIX AUSPICE DEO (For both sides, happiness under the auspices of God)
2 S (2 Scudi, Latin for escudos)
Crowned M PJ (Madrid Mint, Assayer initials for Pedro Cano and Juan San Faury)
Spain silver coins cob type:
 
Spanish America eight reales cob Potosi
5. Spanish America silver eight reales "cob" type 1685 Potosí (Charles II)
Silver, 39 mm x 40 mm, 25.11 gm
 
Obverse:
Pillars of Hercules above waves
POTOSI ANO 1685 EL PERV (missing)
P 8 VR (mintmark, denomination, assayer)
PLV SVL TRA (Plus Ultra or "More Beyond")
VR 85 P (assayer, date, mintmark)
 
Reverse:
Jerusalem cross, castle upper left and lower right, lion upper right and lower left
CAROLVS II DG HISPANIAR (missing)
Denomination '8' at top, mintmark 'P' at left, assayer 'VR' at right, and date '85' at bottom
Spain silver coins:
 
Spanish America eight reales 1748 Mexico City
6. Spanish America silver eight reales "pillar" type 1748, Mexico City
Silver, 38 mm, 26.86 gm
 
Obverse:
Pillars and crowned worlds
VTRAQUE VNUM
Mo 1748 Mo (Mexico City Mint)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
FERDND VI D G HISPAN ET IND REX
MF 8 (Assayer initials, eight reales)
 
Spanish America eight reales 1770 Mexico City
7. Spanish America silver eight reales "pillar" type 1770, Mexico City
Silver, 38 mm, 26.89 gm
 
Obverse:
Pillars and crowned worlds
VTRAQUE VNUM
Mo 1770 Mo (Mexico City Mint)
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
CAROLVS III D G HISPAN ET IND REX
MF 8 (Assayer initials, eight reales)
 
Spanish America eight reales 1783 El Cazador
8. Spanish America silver eight reales 1783, Mexico City - El Cazador shipwreck
Silver, 38 mm, weight unknown
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROLUS III DEI GRATIA 1783
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX Mo 8R F F (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)
 
This coin came from the 1784 El Cazador shipwreck and was graded and encapsulated by ANACS.
 
Spanish America eight reales 1803 Lima
9. Spanish America silver eight reales 1803, Lima
Silver, 38 mm, 26.32 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROLUS IIII DEI GRATIA 1803
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX LME 8R IJ (Lima Mint, Assayer initials)
 
Spanish America eight reales 1806 Mexico City
10. Spanish America silver eight reales type 1806, Mexico City
Silver, 38 mm, 26.86 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROLUS IIII DEI GRATIA 1806
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX Mo 8R T H (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)
 
Spanish America eight reales 1808 Mexico City
11. Spanish America silver eight reales 1808, Mexico City
Silver, 38 mm, 26.48 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
FERDIN VII DEI GRATIA 1808
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX Mo 8R T H (Mexico City Mint, Assayer initials)
 
Spanish America eight reales 1811 Lima
12. Spanish America silver eight reales 1811, Lima
Silver, 39 mm, 26.67 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
FERDIN VII DEI GRATIA 1811
 
Reverse:
Crowned shield of Spain
HISPAN ET IND REX LME 8R JP (Lima Mint, Assayer initials)
 
This coin features the imaginary head of Ferdinand VII as the mint officials did not know what the new king looked like.
Spain silver Pistareens:
 
Pistareens were Spanish two real silver coins manufactured in Spain. They had less silver than the two real coins manufactured in the Spanish American colonies and were valued at five to a peso. Many were shipped to the British colonies in America and circulated there. Pistareen possibly means "little piastre" or peseta.
 
Spain two reales 1725 Madrid
13. Spain silver two reales 1715 "pistareen", Madrid
Silver, 23 mm, 5.12 gm
 
Obverse:
Cross with castles and lions
HISPANARIUM REX 1725
 
Reverse:
Crowned Spanish shield
PHILIPPUS V DG
R - II (Two reales)
Crowned 'M' - A (Madrid mintmark and assayer initial)
 
Spain two reales 1725 Seville
14. Spain silver two reales 1725 "pistareen", Seville
Silver, 23 mm, 5.88 gm
 
Obverse:
Cross with castles and lions
HISPANARIUM REX 1725
 
Reverse:
Crowned Spanish shield
PHILIPPUS V DG
R - II (Two reales)
S - J (Seville mintmark and assayer initial)
Spain copper coins:
 
Spain 8 Maravedi 1774
15. Spain copper 8 maravedi 1774 Segovia
Copper, 30 mm, 11.22 gm
 
Obverse:
Head facing right
CAROLUS III D G HISP REX 1774
Mint mark behind neck
 
Reverse:
Castle upper left and lower right, lion upper right and lower left
No text
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