Progress on the Lima 1/2 Reales Set so far
SimonW
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Here is my date set for the 1/2 Real Lima (Peru) pillar coins. The baby pillars, some call them.
It’s been a crazy ride and I’m not even close to finishing, even though the set is complete. XF or better is the goal, but AU and better has a nicer ring to it. All in mint state is probably a pipe dream.
There is discussion whether the 1751 should be classified as a trial strike or not, there’s only one verified, and it’s likely that they weren’t made for circulation. Either way, I don’t have one, may never get the chance to attain one. So this set starts at 1752
1752/1, F12, this is the overdate, probably the more common of the two. Bought this recently at the Sedwick Sale, a welcome “upgrade” to the next coin:
1752, plain date, VF details, I’m trying to recall a coin with a higher technical grade. Certainly this coin sucks, it’s got everything wrong with it, but it’s quite rare.
1753/2 A VF35, a fairly available coin in lower grades, almost impossible in mint state. I was pretty indignant that this didn’t get an XF, I think a lot of what’s going on is a weak strike and not wear. Now I see it as a fair assessment. Not so yellow as the pics, this was shot just after the photography department changed (I miss Phil.)
1754, XF40, eBay purchase, decent coin for the grade
1755, JM, XF40, This has a lot of detail for the grade, silently net graded for the granularity and crusty patina. Bought this one out of Australia.
1755 JM/JD, VF20, This is a duplicate, but also not. I’m not planning on doing varieties, but I do have a couple. This is a unique variety of “over assayer.” JM/JD, hard to let a discovery coin go, so it’ll probably stick around. 
1756, NGC VF35, this one is also a new variety, without the ligature on LM. 
1757, XF40, good wholesome, got this from a wonderful couple in Spain, very small time dealers. Nothing overly special, just a good coin. 
1758, AU55, from the Sedwick sale this summer, darker and a little less flash than I would prefer, but decent. Details are virtually unblemished. 
1759, No pic yet, this one is NGC MS62, an EX WCC coin.
🌕 🌕
1760, A tougher one, this is the Ferdinand version of the date, which are usually the less common of the two. I’ll be looking to replace this one post haste. Might keep it if the upgrade ends up being Carlos.
1761, MS63, This one…she has my heart. The most expensive one in the group, only barely beating out the 1766.
1762, VF20, the 1762 and 1763 seem to be sleepers within the series, I think this is the tougher of the two. 
1763, F12, I’ve had four of these, this one the most wholesome of the four. I’ve never had the opportunity to acquire either this or the 1762 in anything approaching a high grade. I do have a corroded XF 1763 that isn’t without its charm, but also, it’s corroded. 
1764 This came from an Argentina sale last year, already certified in an older blue PCGS holder. Higher end for this grade, I know of a few higher, but I’m pretty happy with this one. 
1765 I sent this one in to replace my VF25, which I still have. A nice counterpart to the previous coin. Both probably dipped, but now toned around the periphery.
1766, This is probably the toughest one in the group, both by date and by preservation. I’m aware of three total, two I have owned. The highest grade is a lofty coin pictured in Yonaka. The lowest is a Good with a hole and some additional damage. 
1767 tough in this grade, very tough higher. 
1768- no pic, this isn’t supposed to be a tough coin, but I’ve had a beast finding a better one. This is a corroded VF.
1769, great coin! They come in lower grades on occasion, at least one of which is on eBay. This a pretty lofty grade for the date. 
1770, really tough, the best I’ve I’ve been able to find.
1771, a good coin, haven’t been able to upgrade above this, but it should be possible 
1772, quite a bugger, I’ve owned two, the one with an attempted puncture was the nicer of the two, but wouldn’t straight grade. This one is great! But I’d like to upgrade if given the chance. 
More to come…
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Comments
That 1752/1 has a really nice wholesome, original look to my eyes. Great looking specimen.
Ha! I started this last night but my phone crashed, evidently it posted the message during the crash, I’ll get the rest posted soon.
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Congrats on your set/progress!!! Not sure if they even exist in much better condition than what you already own. Maybe a few out there but my guess is not many (especially the very rare/extremely rare dates such as the 1766 & 1772).
Thanks RMLA, much appreciated! Everything here can be upgraded, I assure you, there are better coins out there for every coin I have posted here. In most cases the ones I have are the best I’ve ever been able to find on the market, but they do exist.
The only one I’m not sure about is the 1769, I don’t recall seeing a higher grade and don’t have any current evidence that one exists. I’m sure there are some that exist, it’s not a lofty grade by any means, but they don’t seem to show up.
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Really nice set. Congrats!
Do you have the Sellschop catalog from UBS? If not might be one to pick up as his Peru set was second to none. I can check to see how many 1/2rs are imaged.
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Great to see your whole set posted here, and fwiw I enjoy reading each little mini caption you’ve written………”certainly, this coin sucks….” made me LOL.
I really, really like that 1761. It would have my heart too! Congrats and keep us posted as the set evolves!
Good to know there are some higher graded ones out there. Hope you can land a few!!!
Wow, nice set Simon!!
Peace
Great progress so far! Love that 1758
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Thanks guys! It’ll probably be a Thirty year project and I’m only five years in. The only one I will for sure never upgrade is the 1761, it’s so very attractive and, even though there’s at least three in “higher grade” (MS64 between the two TPG companies) and I haven’t seen most of the 63 graded ones, this is the prettiest one in my estimation. I believe the grade was held back because the luster on the front and back aren’t the same, the back is more subdued. Otherwise I think this would be a 65/66…but of course ownership adds a few points 😂
I will have to look at the Sellschopp sale, do you have the book? What’s that like? I’ve tried to find the catalog a few times before with no luck, but I didn’t try THAT hard. I know he had the closest to a complete set of Peruvian pillars that has probably ever been assembled, even he didn’t get them all though, from what I hear.
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I would say your are very lucky to have a complete set in just 5 years with so many been as rare as they are.
I have this catalog too (UBS sale #20), along with Patterson (Bonham's 1996) and Ortiz (UBS sale #27). Lucky to buy it on eBay cheap, something like $25 or $30.
I know of better or likely better coins vs. those I own now for most dates, sometimes in multiple. For the 1769, Gilboy plate coin L-05-21a is the only nice one I know. Looks to be XF-AU. Mine is an XF "details" with noticeable corrosion, worse on the crown side.
A complete set in XF or AU is a real longshot, even for someone like me who started actively looking for these coins long before you did, in the range of 20 years. Since 2006, I've usually competed for every really nice Peru pillar minor I was aware of and to my knowledge, bought most (as in more than half) of them. (Yes, some I did not know of or lost to another buyer too.)
There presumably is some overlap between the TPG data and the catalogs I own, but otherwise, I've never seen most of the better coins I've identified but don't own.
Only a few of the minors are illustrated in Sellshopp. UBS mostly illustrated the 8R. My assumption is that their grading descriptions are often (not necessarily always) conservative but not possible to know how much. Different firm with a reputation for conservative grading, but CNG once graded what is now a PCGS MS-63 2R as "good very fine".
Look at the bright side though, Guatemala is a lot tougher.
@WCC thanks for the comments!
I probably won’t ever get the chance to have all of these coins in XF or above, but a boy can dream! Might as well have a goal. I really didn’t think I’d be able to buy all of the dates this quickly. To be fair, there was a large dose of luck involved, with just a dash of determination.
I’m also doing Guatemala 😜. I’m not shooting for a Guatemala 1/2R date set however, that would be nuts. I’ve never even seen more than one problem free 1/2R available since I’ve been looking, and I own it now. I honestly think a set wouldn’t be possible without accepting damaged coins. I do regret selling a very wholesome VF 1/2R with the 1770 date. It had a hole, but it was the best one I’ve ever seen for the date in person. The holes just bug me 😂.
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This is a great set, congrats on the pursuit and best of luck continuing the endeavor!
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Gracias! ☺️
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I had a good start to the day looking at your coins Simon and comparing them to the dates that I have with the book in hand.
I should have been working on the website but coins make a nice detour
Peace
Glad it could be a part of your day! ☺️
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