1634-65 Mexico 8 Reales with Test Cuts NGC AU Details

Item #CC-0424 | 1634-65 Mexico 8 Reales with Test Cuts NGC AU Details
Mint: Mexico City
Assayer: “P” for Pedro Becerra
Ruler/Period: King Philip IV
Grade: AU Details

For details and population on this coin from NGC, click on the serial number here: 6845997-001

Description: This is a wonderfully preserved 8 reales struck between 1634-1665 at the Mexico City mint. This cob boasts a full shield, clear Assayer and Mint marks, and a strong centered cross on the reverse. A few unique features of this piece is that it is covered in test cut marks that would have been made by a merchant to test for the purity of the coin. There are also a few small hourglass chopmarks on either side which indicate this coin made its way to the Asian markets sometime in the 1600s for trade. Curiously, there are also signs of white coral in the devices of this piece as well as a dark spot indicative of pieces often recovered from shipwrecks. While this piece does not show much in the way of salt water damage, it could very well have been recovered from a wreck.