Unique 1646 Seville Spain 4 Escudos – Finest & Only Example Known!
Item #CC-0136 | Extremely Rare and Unique 1646 Seville Spain 4 Escudos Finest & Only Example Known!
Mint: Seville, Spain 
Assayer: R for “Geronimo Rodriguez”
Ruler/Period: King Philip IV (1621-1665)
Grade: NGC AU-55
NGC Serial #:2867654-001
Weight: 13.50 Grams
Description: This unique, breathtaking, gold 4 escudos cob is not only the finest example graded by NGC, but also boasts of being the only one graded in any condition by NGC. It is uniquely designated as being the “Top Pop”. As you can see from our photos, this coin exhibits much of its original luster, a well centered and defined shield and Jerusalem Cross, assayer “R” and “S” for the Seville mint, a clear date, and quatrefoil with fluers-de-lis. It also has many design features that are often missing on similar gold cobs from this era. Of particular note, you will notice that the assayer initial “R” is above the mint mark “S”, which is extremely rare as most coins minted at the Seville mint show the “S” above the “R”.
According to current numismatic catalogs of Spanish gold cob coinage, no recorded examples of any 1646 4 escudos minted at the Seville mint are known to exist. Catalogs that were researched to verify this include Numismática Española by: Aureo & Calico (2019) , Oro Macuquino by: Rafael Tauler Fesser (2020), Monedas Españolas by: Ferrán & Xavier Calico & Joaquín Trigo (1981) Las Monedas Españolas by: Castan & Cayon (1980), The Standard Catalog of World Coins By: Krause & Mishler (First Edition).
In our opinion, this coin is unique and there are no other known examples. Couple this with the fact that the assayer and mint mark are reversed, only adds to the uniqueness and rarity of this coin.
On the reverse there is visible evidence of what appears to be coral encrustation, which indicates that this coin was recovered from a shipwreck!
Spanish gold cobs are highly sought after, especially in the higher denominations, and this example is an outstanding one-of-a-kind.
$25,000.00
