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1/2 Real - Philip IV
| Issuer | Casa de la Moneda de Potosí (Spanish Colonial) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1654-1666 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 16.3 mm |
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| Obverse description | Obverse displays the crowned monogram of Philip IV rendered in the macuquina (cob) style, with the royal cypher consisting of an interlaced P and Φ (phi) beneath a crown, all hand-struck on an irregularly shaped planchet. The Potosí mint mark 'P' appears to the left of the monogram, accompanied by the assayer's initials and the denomination indicator. A partial beaded border is visible along the upper periphery. The surfaces bear the characteristically uneven relief and flan shape inherent to hammered cob coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Reverse displays a bold, plain cross with castellated arms dividing the field into four quadrants, each containing elements of the royal arms of Castile and León: castles (towers) in the upper-left and lower-right quadrants, and lions passant in the upper-right and lower-left quadrants. The design is struck in the macuquina cob tradition, resulting in an irregular planchet with weak peripheral detail and characteristic flat areas. The cross itself is strongly defined at the centre, conforming to the standard Potosí mint type for this reign. |
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| Additional information |
These years bracket one of the most consequential scandals in colonial minting history. In 1649, assayer Francisco de la Casa at Potosí was found to have been systematically debasing silver coinage — shaving fineness well below the mandated standard — in a fraud that had run for over a decade and implicated mint officials at the highest levels. The corrected issues that followed, including this denomination, were struck under intensified crown scrutiny. The date range on this piece places it squarely in the post-scandal remediation period.