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Silver Cobs of Potosi,
1574-1773
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Bolivian silver cobs
 When
it comes to silver cobs, no mint was more prolific than Potosi, Bolivia, where
an entire mountain of silver was discovered in the early 1500s. It took a little
while before authorities figured out that a mint was needed on site, where the
silver was being mined, even though the extreme remoteness and elevation
presented major problems that were never fully resolved. The most egregious
problem, perhaps, was an almost lawless environment where silver barons
controlled the government and took full advantage by owning and profiting from
mint offices and even by debasing the silver itself, causing a major scandal
that put the entire world on its financial ear in the mid-1600s. Up to that
point Potosi struck shield-type cobs, some of which were then recalled and
either melted or countermarked (to attest to proper fineness) in 1652. To
rectify the whole system, a new design was begun in that year, starting with
some "transitional" issues and culminating in the pillars-and-waves design that
became a global mainstay again throughout the rest of the 1600s and most of the
1700s. In 1773 the last cob ever struck came off the press in Potosi, long since
superseded by milled coins (begun there in 1767).
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Shield type:
8 reales |
4 reales
| 2 reales
| 1 reales
| 1/2 reales
| 1/4 reales
Pillars-and-waves: 8 reales
| 4 reales
| 2 reales
| 1 reales
| 1/2 reales
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Potosi, Bolivia
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Shield type 8 reales
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8
reales, Philip II, assyer B (4th period).
25.34 grams. Full inner
details and much legend despite some weak spots and light surface corrosion
as reportedly found on the beach off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, lightly toned,
Fine+ overall. |
f092004956012 |
SOLD
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 16(46)V, rare.
26.54 grams. Full shield with clear P•V to left (possibly V/TR) that appears twice due to doubling, full but weaker cross, Fine with tiny spots of toning, full second digit 6 of date (tiny). |
g102004966001 |
$395
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Shield type 4 reales
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 4 reales, (162)9(T), rare.
13.69 grams. Darkly toned VF with full but off-center shield and cross, fairly clear (long, curved) tail of 9 of date. |
g092013031003 |
SOLD
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Shield type 2 reales
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip II, assayer B (5th period).
7.00 grams. Broad-flan AVF with nice toning, full but slightly doubled shield and cross, clear P-B, edge-split. |
g092013031004 |
SOLD
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip III, assayer R (straight leg, no king's ordinal).
6.70 grams. Full shield and cross, interesting early version of assayer-mark that looks like a P-punch with straight, pointed leg added (a scarce but known variety, missing in Sellschopp), also no ordinal in legend after king's name, which ends in a retrograde S, VF with light toning and dark encrustation in crevices. |
g092013031006 |
SOLD
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip III, assayer Q/C, rare.
6.57 grams. Good full shield and cross, clear assayer Q/C, lightly toned Fine+. |
g092013031005 |
SOLD
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Shield type 1 reales
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1/4 reales (Cuartillos)
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/4 real, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) to left, mintmark P to right, rare.
Broad flan but with small
pieces of edge missing, AVF with full castle and R-P. good full lion (tall,
standing), richly toned. |
g081504146019 |
$595 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/4 real, Philip II, assayer B (5th period) to left, mintmark P to right,
border of boxes on obverse, rare.
Lightly corroded surfaces
(salvaged) but with clear B and lion. |
g081504146026 |
$495 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/4 real, Philip II, assayer B (5th period) to left, mintmark P to right,
border of boxes on obverse, large castle, rare.
Thin from salvage but with
bold VF details (castle and lion, B-P), darkly toned. |
g081504146024 |
$495 |
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Transitional type |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1
real, (1652)E Transitional, McLean Type II.
Bold full pillars with
F-I-IIII / PLV-SV-LTR / E-I-E, top half of shield (and full crown) with
I-A-(P-5) to left and I-O-E-(2) to right, VF with toned fields, some
flatness. |
g021704373001 |
$195 |
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Pillars-and-waves 8 reales |
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Description |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1677E.
26.25 grams. Three dates, including "777" between pillars due to double-strike, Fine with weak spots, a few black stains. |
g092004958001 |
$395
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1742P.
26.45 grams. Chunky VF with clear pillars side featuring full date and assayer, complete cross, spotty dark toning. |
g051904191109 |
SOLD
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1759q.
26.44 grams. Atypically broad flan with flat peripheries but bold centers, VF overall, edge-crack. |
g092013031001 |
$295
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Pillars-and-waves 4 reales
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Description |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 4
reales, 1752q.
S-P52; KM-39; Cal-406. 13.63
grams. Thick and chunky flan with bold pillars and cross, one bold date and
part of another, VF+ with contrasting sediment on fields. |
g062004191010 |
$295
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 4 reales, 1767V-(Y), V as upside-down A..
S-P57; KM-44; Cal-911. 13.36 grams. Bold date and one full pillar (off-center), very high-relief cross with upside-down A for assayer V to right (unique thus), chunky flan with sharply cut edges (as made), two full assayers, nicely toned AXF with surface roughness on opposing sides per the
period. |
g062004191011 |
$795
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Pillars-and-waves 2 reales
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2
reales, 1755q.
5.71 grams. Clear date, bold
assayer, toned but very worn (AVG). |
g071513031012 |
$65 |
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Pillars-and-waves 1 reales
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1
real, 1684V.
2.89 grams. Good full pillars
and cross, VF+ with hairline edge-split, three assayers. |
g061604191135 |
SOLD |
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Pillars-and-waves 1/2 reales
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/2 real, (1654), P•H at top, 1/4R flan (unique).
Good cross, full crown above
P•H but monogram off the flan (poorly centered), very small flan (thin) that
appears to be for a 1/4 real (which did not exist this late), VF with light
toning. |
g081504146031 |
$395 |
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Daniel Frank
Sedwick, LLC - PO BOX 1964 | Winter Park, FL 32790 | Phone 407.975.3325 |
office@sedwickcoins.com |
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