Dramatic Errors of the Spanish Colonial 8 Reales Series

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Boosibri
Boosibri Posts: 12,715 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited February 15, 2026 6:55PM in World & Ancient Coins Forum

The Spanish Colonial 8 Reales series is ripe for interesting errors, especially taking the form of misspellings in the legends. While over dates and over-assayers are frequently found with careful study (and we have our resident expert @TwoKopeiki), these dramatic legend errors are bold and self-evident. Most are incredibly rare, emanating from a single die pairing before th error was caught or the die was decommissioned.

Here are the top errors which I have noted:

1768-PTS "VRTA" - 4 coins observed

1813-PTS Ferdinand "IIV" - 5 coins observed

1796-So "C/RAROLUS" -3 coins observed

1800-So "CROLUS" - 3 coins observed and one rumor to be overstruck with a Brazilian countermark

1746-Mo "VRTUQUE" - 3 coins observed

1771-LM "HIAPSN" - 3 coins observed

1796-LM "R8" - 3 coins observed

1798-LM "R8" - 1 coin observed

Latin American Collection

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  • Plus00Vltra
    Plus00Vltra Posts: 126 ✭✭✭
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    "1872" Mo FF 8 Reales.
    My photos, but not my coin:

  • threefifty
    threefifty Posts: 194 ✭✭✭
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    Nice list! Maybe the 1804 "CARLUS" should also be included?

    The War of Independence issues have some nice errors, the 1812 Durango "R8", Zacatecas "IERDIN", "FERDID", and 1821 8 s R, but I think the ones on your list are much better known.

  • realeswatcher
    realeswatcher Posts: 537 ✭✭✭✭
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    A number of minors... GRTIA, GARTIA...

    1797 Santiago 1/2... the CARLUS version seems at least as common as the normal one!

  • Plus00Vltra
    Plus00Vltra Posts: 126 ✭✭✭
    edited February 17, 2026 8:53AM
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    I look forward to more input, so I will prime the pump by posting another in the spirit of the thing, albeit an 8 Escudos:

    1751 So J 8E with dramatic "FERDINANUS" error.
    Likely from the 1752 wreck of the Nuestra Señora de la Luz, but I could not find mention of it nor photograph in the 1993 Sotheby's auction catalog, despite a careful study of dies and die marriages by the cataloger.
    Not my coin, unfortunately. It sold at AUREO & CALICÓ in 2015.

  • lermish
    lermish Posts: 5,003 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Big die crack

    ;)

    chopmarkedtradedollars.com

  • Abuelo
    Abuelo Posts: 2,059 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Very cool!

    There is a laundry list here just from Zacatecas:

    https://mexicannumismatics.com/history/war-independence/zacatecas-mint-reales

  • threefifty
    threefifty Posts: 194 ✭✭✭
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    @Abuelo said:
    Very cool!

    There is a laundry list here just from Zacatecas:

    https://mexicannumismatics.com/history/war-independence/zacatecas-mint-reales

    Yeah, I took a look through again to refresh myself, there really are an absurd number of varieties/errors for Zacatecas 1813 - 1822 coinage. I have picked a few of them over my time collecting but I do not have the @TwoKopeiki levels of patience necessary to take on the task of collecting those by variety.

  • WCC
    WCC Posts: 3,322 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I'd love to have the 1768 Potosi 8R, but not because it's an error. I like the color. I only recall two high quality (AU) sold of this date since I've been collecting pillars (back to 2002), and both were untoned.

  • AngryDragon
    AngryDragon Posts: 90 ✭✭✭
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    MEXICO. 1/2 Real, 1773-Mo FM. Mexico City Mint. Charles III. NGC MS-63.
    KM-69.2; Yonaka-M05-73b. Variety with "CAROLS" spelling.

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