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La Plata, Bolivia, cob 1 real, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) below mintmark P to left, extremely rar

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Cobs - Lima Silver Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
La Plata, Bolivia, cob 1 real, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) below mintmark P to left, extremely rar
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La Plata, Bolivia, cob 1 real, Philip II, assayer R (Rincon) below mintmark P to left, extremely rare (two known), Sellschopp plate, Stallard "discovery coin." S-LP1; KM-unl; Cal-unl. 2.56 grams. As noted in the attached article by Barry Stallard, based on decades of careful die-analysis of hundreds of specimens in several denominations, the transition from Lima to La Plata to Potosi is best understood by studying the punches and dies, which were documented as having been sent from Lima to La Plata and Potosi in multiple batches after the Lima mint closed (temporarily) in 1572, during the tenure of assayer X. While several individual punches from Lima assayer X appear on issues of Potosi (see note in lot 469 above, for example), only one complete cross-side die-match has been observed, and logic dictates it must correspond to the very brief striking at La Plata in late 1573 and early 1574 only. This cross-side die is distinctive, with "passant" lions sticking out their tongues and a triple-punched tressure that appear on only two 1R issues with different shield-side dies: one with P-X to right (Lima) and the other with P-R to left (La Plata). The present coin is Stallard's discovery piece, which he identified sometime prior to 2009 when we offered the only other example to be auctioned (Auction 6, lot 877). The cross and shield are full, obviously with clear lions and tressure for attributing, and the P-R is bold, in addition to small pieces of the legends and crown, all deeply toned, Fine+ for wear and with small hole a top of shield / right of cross, lightly shaved around the edge in its time. Unlike the other known specimen, this piece clearly shows HISPANIARVM with an H, a crucial data element that further confirms the attribution to La Plata. It may also be significant that this piece is underweight (see lot 614 in this auction). Lastly, it is pedigreed to the famous collection of Dr. E.A. Sellschopp, who lacked an assayer-X to compare with and possibly notice the connection as Stallard did so many years later. Pedigreed to the Barry Stallard collection, plate coin #20 in Sellschopp's Las acunaciones de las cecas de Lima, La Plata y Potosi (1971).