Spanish Milled Coinage

TWO REALES

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

2R  1740   Mo-MF             Philip V pillar coinage   (Mexico City)

Obverse:  PHILIP · V · D · G · HISPAN · ET IND · REX [six petal rosette]
Reverse:  VTRAQUE  VNUM / [rosette] Mo [rosette] 1740 [rosette] Mo [rosette]

Weight:  94.3 g   (6.12 grams)                  Diameter:  26.2 mm

Comments:  This is an exampe of the first milled or "pillar" coinage. On the obverse to the left of the crowned Spanish arms there is . M F representing the initials of the assayers Manual de Leon and Francisco de la Peña y Flores who worked together 1731-1754 (see, Pellicer i Bru, Glosario, pp. 40 and 154). To the right of the arms is the denomination 2 with a rosette above and below, for two reales. On the reverse Mo is the mintmark for Mexico City. On the columns is PLUS VLTR, an abbreviation for the motto Plus Ultra (More Beyond).

Provenance:  From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

2R  1776   LIMAE-MJ             Charles III portrait coinage   (Lima, Peru)

Obverse:  CAROLUS · III ·    DEI · GRATIA · 1776 ·
Reverse:  · HISPAN · ET IND · REX · [LIMAE mintmark] · 2 R · M · J ·

Weight:  95.5 g   (6.19 grams)                  Diameter:  27.5 mm

Comments:  This is an example of the "portrait" or "modified pillar" design with a portrait of Charles III on the obverse and the Spanish arms between the two pillars on the reverse. In the reverse legend the monogram 'LIMAE' is the mintmark indicating the coin was produced at the mint in Lima, Peru. This is followd by '2 R' which indicates the denomination of two reales. The M and the J are the initials of the assayers, Manuel Iglesia Abarca and Joaquín Negrón who worked together from 1773-1780 (see Pellicer i Bru, Glosario, pp. 31 and 154). According to Thomas Kays holed coins were like modern traveller's checks. A traveller would sew or pin several of these coins into the lining or inside of their jacket and use them as needed.

Provenance:  Donated to Notre Dame in 1887 as part of a 2,300 item coin collection (see: The Notre Dame Scholastic,   vol. 21 (September 1887) 45.

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

2R  1777   PTS-PR             Charles III portrait coinage   (Potosí, Bolivia)

Obverse:  CAROLUS · III ·     · DEI · GRATIA · 1777 ·
Reverse:  HISPAN · ET IND · REX · [PTS monogram] · 2 R · P · R ·

Weight:  93.3 g   (6.04 grams)                  Diameter:  27.8 mm

Comments:  This is an example of the "portrait" or "modified pillar" design with a portrait of Charles III on the obverse and the Spanish arms between the two pillars on the reverse. This is a varient variety with a stop before DEI on the obverse and the the lack of a stop before HISPAN on the reverse. In the reverse legend the monogram 'PTS' is the mintmark indicating the coin was produced at the mint in Potosí, Bolivia. This is followd by '2 R' which indicates the denomination of two reales. The P and the R are the initials of the assayers, Pedro Narciso de Mazondo and Raimundo de Iturriaga who worked together from 1776-1795 and in 1796 (see Pellicer i Bru, Glosario, pp. 45 and 174).

Provenance:  Donated to Notre Dame in 1887 as part of a 2,300 item coin collection (see: The Notre Dame Scholastic,   vol. 21 (September 1887) 45.

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

2R  1781   Mo-FF             Charles III portrait coinage   (Mexico City)

Obverse:  CAROLUS · III ·     DEI · GRATIA · 1781 ·
Reverse:   · HISPAN · ET IND · REX · Mo · 2 R · F · F ·

Weight:  102.8 g   (6.65 grams)                  Diameter:  28.1 mm

Comments:  This is an example of the "portrait" or "modified pillar" design with a portrait of Charles III on the obverse and the Spanish arms between the two pillars on the reverse. In the reverse legend Mo is the mintmark indicating the coin was produced at the mint in Mexico City. This is followd by '2 R' which indicates the denomination of two reales. The FF are the initials of the assayers,Francisco de la Peña and Francisco Arance Cobos who worked together from 1774-1788 (see Pellicer i Bru, Glosario, pp. 40 and 109). On this example the legend PLUS VLTRA (More Beyond) can be seen on the scrolls.

Provenance:  From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.

obverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

reverse 500 dpi 250 dpi

2R  1786   Mo-FM             Charles III portrait coinage   (Mexico City)

Obverse:  CAROLUS · III ·     DEI · GRATIA · 1786 ·
Reverse:   · HISPAN · ET IND · REX · Mo · 2 R · F · M ·

Weight:  90.9 g   (5.89 grams)                  Diameter:  28.0 mm

Comments:  This is an example of the "portrait" or "modified pillar" design with a portrait of Charles III on the obverse and the Spanish arms between the two pillars on the reverse. In the reverse legend Mo is the mintmark indicating the coin was produced at the mint in Mexico City. This is followd by '2 R' which indicates the denomination of two reales. The initials F and M are for the assayers,Francisco Arance y Cobos and Mariano Rodríguez who worked together from 1783-1807 (see Pellicer i Bru, Glosario, pp. 40 and 110). This example has been bent so that there is a bulge in the obverse.

Provenance:  Donated to Notre Dame in 1887 as part of a 2,300 item coin collection (see: The Notre Dame Scholastic,   vol. 21 (September 1887) 45.

Spanish Milled Coins: p.2	Section Contents	Spanish Milled Coins: p.4