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1/2 Escalin Santo Domingo, countermarked
| Issuer | Saint-Domingue (1625-1804) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1781 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Obverse description | A crowned anchor countermark, applied by Saint-Domingue colonial authorities, is struck prominently in the field of a trimmed and roughly circular Spanish silver cob (macuquina). The anchor, surmounted by a small crown, is clearly impressed into the host coin's surface. The irregular flan retains the characteristic rough edges typical of cob coinage, and the underlying Spanish design elements are partially visible beneath and around the countermark. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the host Spanish cob flan in its trimmed, approximately circular form, with the remnants of the original hammered Spanish colonial design visible in low relief. Portions of the characteristic quartered cross motif of Spanish colonial macuquina coinage can be discerned, though the design is fragmented and partially obscured due to the trimming and irregular striking of the host planchet. The surface shows the typical rough texture and die-flow striations associated with cob production. |
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| Additional information |
In 1781, French colonial authorities in Saint-Domingue authorized the countermarking of small Spanish silver pieces — worn fractional reales circulating at a chronic discount — to certify them at a fixed local tariff and stem the constant drain of hard currency to other Caribbean ports. The half escalin denomination was among the most aggressively countermarked, as the colony's plantation economy ran on small transactional change that the metropole consistently failed to supply in adequate quantities.
The host coins vary considerably in origin and prior wear, which accounts for the wide weight spread seen across surviving examples.