Santiago Colonial Coins

SimonW

@Eddi said:

@SimonW said: -
I’d take it

I've already asked the owner whether he would sell, which he will not. I do hope he lets her go one day.

I'll keep my eyes open - maybe another one exists somewhere. But like I said, it seems there are only two.

I’m sure more will come to light, not many though

Eddi

SANTIAGO'S BUSTO ALMIRANTE COINAGE.

Coins of Fernando VII sporting the so-called Admiral (or military) Bust, are very popular with collectors.

The Busto Almirante coinage was struck in Santiago in both 8 Reales and 2 Reales denominations. The 8 Reales from 1808 until 1811, and 2 Reales only in 1810 and 1811.

The king does look quite handsome in these coins. The only problem is, in real life he looked quite a bit different.

Many collectors think that the overseas mint carved these handsome, idealised portraits because, after his predecesor Carlos IV abdicated early in 1808 and Fernando became king, life-like portrait of the new king were still not available, at least not in Santiago.
One must remember that the voyage from Cadiz to Valparaiso took many months to accomplish.

The truth is that, as I have read, portraits of Fernando did exist in the Capitania General de Chile, but the Santiago mint decided to go ahead with the more handsome, idealised portrayal. (One can see why).

This is what Fernando looked like in-real life in 1815, according to Goya:

This what the Santiago mint actually struck:

(Fernando VII 8 and 2 reales 1810 from my collection).

I believe Lima and Mexico also resorted to idealised portraits of Fernando, at least in the initial years.
After 1813 all mints resorted to much more life-like portraits of Fernando VII.

WCC

@SimonW said:

@Eddi said:

@SimonW said: -
I’d take it

I've already asked the owner whether he would sell, which he will not. I do hope he lets her go one day.

I'll keep my eyes open - maybe another one exists somewhere. But like I said, it seems there are only two.

I’m sure more will come to light, not many though

That's why it would be good to know the mintage. Until Yonaka's book came out, I assumed the mintages on the Peru pillar coinage was usually lower or much lower than it actual is.

On another note, I saw another Peru 1766 1R holed, in the Rio de la Platas auction, I think. That's six or seven I'm aware of now from a mintage of 166,000 to my recollection.

SimonW

@WCC

I saw that, great coin in any shape, I’d like to upgrade mine at some point