354

Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, early 1640s design, fraudulently altered (ca. 1649) with new assayer

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Shipwreck - Silver Coins 1500s-1650s Start Price:350.00 USD Estimated At:500.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, early 1640s design, fraudulently altered (ca. 1649) with new assayer
All items are genuine unless noted. By bidding in this auction you understand and agree to the Terms and Conditions posted here.
Potosi, Bolivia, cob 8 reales, early 1640s design, fraudulently altered (ca. 1649) with new assayer O engraved on shield side and counterfeit crowned-L countermark on cross (unique). KM-19a. 25.78 grams. Bold P-O and countermark (complete) belied by lions and castles from early 1640s; closer inspection reveals that the assayer was re-engraved and the countermark is fake (minor differences from the norm), with lightly corroded surfaces but also likely underweight and debased to begin with, quite a fascinating piece as a contemporary "triple fraud." From the Maravillas Research Collection of Countermarked Potosi Cobs, with Marex certificate and tag #0451. Recovered from: Maravillas, sunk in 1656 off Grand Bahama Island