Catalog
1/2 Real - Charles III
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Potosí |
|---|---|
| Year | 1787-1789 |
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| Currency | Real (1574-1825) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features the crowned Royal Arms of Spain at center, displaying the quartered shield with the castles of Castile and lions of León in the principal quarters, with a small escutcheon at the base bearing the fleur-de-lis of the Bourbon dynasty. The shield is surmounted by an ornate royal crown and flanked on either side by the Pillars of Hercules, each wrapped with a banner. The circular Latin legend surrounding the design reads ·HISPAN·ET IND·REX·PTS·P·R·, identifying Charles III as King of Spain and the Indies, with the Potosí mint mark (PTS), assayer initial (P), and denomination mark (R) also present in the legend. |
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| Additional information |
Charles III's monetary reforms of the 1770s standardized milled coinage across Spanish American mints, but Potosí — sitting at over 13,000 feet in what is now Bolivia — remained chronically prone to quality inconsistencies due to the extreme altitude affecting furnace temperatures and alloy control. The half real was the smallest silver denomination in regular circulation, used heavily in everyday trade across the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.
Charles III died in December 1788, placing coins dated 1789 under the transitional authority before his successor's effigy was formally adopted — making late-dated examples from this reign technically posthumous issues.