1/2 Real - Fernando VI

Guatemala's colonial mint, established in 1731, was one of the last in Spanish America to receive authorization — and its early output was notoriously inconsistent. The cob-style minting process used for fractional silver like this half real meant each planchet was hand-cut from a cast strip, hammered between crude dies, and trimmed to weight rather than diameter. No two pieces are alike in shape.

Fernando VI died in 1759 after a prolonged mental collapse following the death of his wife, leaving no heir. Coins bearing his name continued to be struck in Guatemala through 1760 before the mint transitioned to Carlos III types.