Jester's Challenge #8

1jester

Welcome, Darkside Collectors (and all others who wish to participate)!!!

Inspired by others here on the Darkside forum, including Severo, Rublevik, Ajaan, Cacheman, Aethelred, Mongoose, Wybrit, LordMarcovan, Askari, Shirohniichan and many others, I'd like to start what I hope will turn into a great learning experience for all of us. The above-mentioned members, and many others, have done a formidable job in sharing with us many fascinating and historically important coins. Since that's one of the greatest pleasures to me, I'd like to try to follow in that time-honored tradition and submit for your pleasure and entertainment some world coins I've come across in my short lifetime.

I will pick out a coin on a regular basis, and post it along with the challenge to you to name the coin, its provenance, denomination, metallic content, mintage, any distinguishing characteristics or noteworthy features, and its value. The more information, the better. I'd like as many people as possible to participate, regardless of how little knowledge you might have on the subject. I appreciate comments on every aspect of the coin, including its history, or its role in human history, or info on similar coins in its series, etc. I myself don't assume to know 1/100 of what you collectively know, hence my challenge to all of you to share your knowledge with the rest of us. Hopefully this exercise will encourage thought, discussion, and primarily more friendship.

Thanks for your participation!!!

Here goes the eighth selection:

Rublevik

Bolivia 4 soles, PTS mintmark of Potosi.

Portrait of Simon Bolivar, one of the key liberators of Latin America from Spanish colonial rule - along with Bernardo O'Higgins (Chile) and Jose de San Martin (Argentina).

The reverse shows 2 alpacas, valued especially for their wool and sure-footedness in the mountains.

1jester

One thing that strikes me about this coin is that it is most definitely NOT round. It's about the crudest looking coin of the modern era. Even the earlier Spanish-era pieces of eight showed far more sophistication in the minting process. Here, you can see that there are planchet problems including improper mixing of metal, as well as a crudely-formed planchet. Not to mention the crude engraving, and poorly-prepared dies. The strike is very strong, but nonetheless looks weakly struck. In fact, the coin is a strong XF, but doesn't look it due to the lack of detail. There's tons of mint luster on this coin as well as very colorful toning, which the scanner just doesn't pick up adequately.

shirohniichan

I know what you mean about these coins being crude. The one I have also has very little wear, but the details aren't very sharp. Too bad mine didn't have a chopmark.

1jester

Shiroh, chopmarks can be easily arranged!

1jester

ttt