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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 In 1773 the last cob ever struck came off the press in Potosi, long since superseded by milled coins (begun there in 1767).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
III, assayer Q.
S-P17; KM-10; CT-124. 26.89
grams. Very broad flan with choice full shield and cross, bold full P-Q,
full king's name and ordinal PHILIPVS III, XF with light orange sediment in
crevices. |
g111804191020 |
$595 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, Philip
III, assayer Q.
S-P17; KM-10; CT-124. 23.38
grams. Richly toned AVF with full P-Q (possible Q/C), good full shield and
cross, thin flan with probable old shaving on edge. |
g111804191021 |
$295 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, Philip
IV, assayer P (P-dot-P, mid-1620s), from the ca. 1629 "Panama hoard."
26.90
grams. VF, doubled yet full shield and almost complete cross, reddish-orange
encrustation (indicative of the "Panama hoard" find). |
g121804671289 |
$195 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, (162)7T,
quadrants of cross transposed, rare.
S-P24; KM-19a; CT-467. 27.07
grams. Non-toned XF with good full shield and cross (rare to see transposed
quadrants this late), tail of 7 of date visible. |
g051804191092 |
$395 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1640,
assayer not visible, rare.
KM-19a. 26.90 grams. Full
and clear date with particularly bold 0 (rare thus), also one nice lion and
nearly full king's name and ordinal but otherwise crude, Fine, toned on
fields. |
g051804191093 |
$395 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, Philip IV, assayer not visible (1640s), debased and underweight.
20.45 grams. Fascinating example of the type of coin that was wrecking the world economy and was eventually recalled (this one somehow overlooked), as it was clearly struck underweight (although part of the edge shows slight shaving, too) and the spaces around the details are loaded with a rusty layer of coppery oxidation and sediment, also typically crude in strike (off-center shield but good full cross), Fine or so. |
g041818221001 |
$240 |
 |
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, (1)645,
assayer not visible.
KM-19a. 27.20 grams. Bold
full date (rare thus) outside of full but crude cross, the shield full but
very doubled, non-toned AXF with peripheral flatness and small part of edge
bent. |
g111804191022 |
$395 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, Philip
IV, assayer TR (large).
26.27 grams. Thick planchet, bold
mintmark, assayer, partial shield and some legend, patchy dark toning. |
g091818101002 |
$195 |
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Shield type 4 reales
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Description |
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Price |
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Shield type 2 reales
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip III, assayer C, rare.
Bold assayer, full but weaker shield and cross, Fine with surface corrosion (salvaged), patchy toning. |
g061604191049 |
$140 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip III, assayer C, rare.
Corroded from salvage and silvery from cleaning, bold assayer and cross (slightly off-center), Fine or so overall. |
g061604191050 |
$135 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, Philip IV, assayer P (1620s).
Bold P-dot-P, full but weak
shield and cross, Fine+. |
g051704191047 |
$110 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2
reales, Philip IV, assayer T (ca. 1630).
6.57 grams. Well-detailed
with original surfaces and some luster, doubled shield, a few areas of dark
toning. |
g091818101014 |
$85 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, (164)9O, rare.
Full P-O and clear 9 of date, most of shield and cross despite flatness, somewhat silvery VF with toning in crevices. |
g061604284012 |
$195 |
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Shield type 1 reales
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Description |
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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 right, mintmark P to left, rare,
rainbow toned.
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g081504146017 |
$975 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1/4 real, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) to left, mintmark P to right, rare.
Richly toned AVF with full inner details, nearly full crowns and legends, broad flan, tiny hole near edge. |
g081504146018 |
$975 |
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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 (1st period) to left, mintmark P to right,
very rare.
Clear B-P flanking castle,
early Seville-style lion and fine-dot borders, salvaged AVF with dark toning
and chips in edge. |
g081504146021 |
$975 |
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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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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1 real, (1652)E Transitional, McLean Type II.
Full pillars, most of shield, broad-flan but unevenly-struck Fine+ with dark toning in crevices, small hole at edge. |
g021704373002 |
$95
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Pillars-and-waves 8 reales |
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1676E, Calbeto Plate Coin.
S-P37b; KM-26; CT-351. 25.84 grams. Very crude coin with low contrast due to dark toning and light surface corrosion (possibly from a wreck, otherwise Fine), but with two dates and mintmarks, three assayers, one nice crown, and desirable for its pedigree (this date considered rather scarce in Calbeto's time but now more common due to the Consolacion wreck of 1681). Plate Coin #1081 in Calbeto's Compendium VIII Reales (1970). |
g061604192019 |
$395 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8
reales, 1685VR.
S-P40; KM-26; CT-368. 27.84 grams. Broad flan in an
attractive "fat barrel" shape with curved sides nicely coincident with the
pillars design, which is full but with some flat spots, same for the cross,
lots of legend, overall three dates (including full 1685 in legend) and full
king's name, XF for actual wear. |
g111804191024 |
$850 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8
reales, 1687VR.
S-P40; KM-26; CT-372. 26.93 grams. Three dates and assayers
and mintmarks, full CAROLVS II, technically full cross and pillars-and-waves
but all a bit crude (weak spots), AVF with dark toning in crevices. With
Historic Real Treasures (Augi Garcia) photo-certificate. |
g111804191025 |
$325 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1707Y.
S-P43a; KM-31; CT-867. 26.84 grams. Chunky flan with full but doubled pillars and cross, toned Fine, three dates. |
g111604192003 |
$295 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1712Y.
S-P43a; KM-31; CT-872. 26.34 grams. Good full cross, messy pillars on crude (chunky) flan, two dates (very scarce thus), VF for the era (sharp edges) with light toning all over. |
g061604192022 |
$295 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1712Y.
S-P43a; KM-31; CT-872. 26.82 grams. Chunky and crude, with central details only, the pillars side doubled, but with two dates visible and traditionally scarce, technically no worse than AVF, nicely toned. |
g061604193067 |
$250 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1712Y.
S-P43a; KM-31; CT-872. 26.01 grams. Very crude strike (chunky and mostly flat) but with clear date, About Fine with uneven toning and spots of green, scarce. |
g051704191062 |
$225 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1737E.
26.38 grams. Bold date and assayer and mintmark above full waves, nearly full but doubled cross, uneven toning and light surface corrosion, VF details. |
g081718051001 |
$240 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, 1745q.
S-P50; KM-31a; CT-909. 26.94 grams. Very chunky flan with crude but well-centered pillars and cross, bold date, Fine, deeply toned. |
g121604340001 |
$275 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8
reales, 1752q.
S-P52; KM-40. 27.41 grams.
XF, chunky flan and quite oveweight, edges crude from clipping during
manufacture, partial yet bold pillars and cross, gold toning all over. |
g081804627007 |
$395 |
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Pillars-and-waves 4 reales
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Description |
Item # |
Price |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 4
reales, 1765(V)-Y.
S-P57; KM-44; CT-1158. 13.18
grams. Two very bold dates, full centers but peripheries flat, AVF with
sediment on fields, slightly rough surfaces. |
g051804191098 |
SOLD |
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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, 1665E.
4.78 grams. Crude flan with bold waves and tops of pillars, off-center cross, lightly corroded Fine with flat spots. |
g061604284005 |
$110 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, 1674E.
7.32 grams. Full cross and pillars, two dates, solid VF but with lots of dark toning and staining and verdigris (needs cleaning). |
g061504191115 |
$165 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2 reales, 1676E.
6.35 grams. Good full cross, full but off-center pillars, two clear dates and mintmarks and assayers, lightly toned VF with small edge-split. |
g051604275001 |
$195 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2
reales, 1686VR.
5.96 grams. VF, mostly dark toned, wide
and thin planchet, bold details with two dates visible. |
g101804231017 |
$195 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2
reales, 1733E.
5.16 grams. Fine, full date below cross
and two partial dates on pillars side, dark toning in crevices. |
g121804671286 |
$95 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 2
reales, 1748q.
6.95 grams. AU, patchy dark toning and
some encrustation from being a hoard coin, bold design. |
g091818101015 |
$90 |
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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 |
$75 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1 real, 1690VR.
3.07 grams. Fine with toned
field, two dates. Pedigreed to our Auction #5, with original lot-tag #823. |
g051804191210 |
$95 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1 real, 1717Y.
2.24 grams.
aVF, off-center strike, rather bold details, dark toning in fields. |
g121804671284 |
$35 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1 real, 1750q.
3.29 grams.
Dark VF, two dates. |
g121804671285 |
$40 |
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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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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/2 real, 1656 (date in legend), distinctive monogram superimposed on cross
with 4 dots, rare.
Broad enough flan to show
bottoms of all four digits of date in cross-side legend, good cross but
messy (doubled) monogram, richly old-toned Fine with hole. |
g061504192014 |
$95 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob 1/2
real, 1686.
1.03
grams. F/VF, some
dark toning, two clear dates. |
g101804231033 |
$55 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/2 real, 1744.
Bold date (possibly 4/3),
incomplete monogram and cross, Fine with patchy toning. |
g061604191149 |
$50 |
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Potosi, Bolivia, cob
1/2 real, 1763.
1.61 grams. Fine with some
encrustation, bold and clearly visible 763 of date, rare date. |
g101804231034 |
$95 |
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PO BOX 1964 | Winter Park, FL 32790
| Phone 407.975.3325 | office@sedwickcoins.com |
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