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1/2 Real Type VII Countermark
| Issuer | Casa Nacional de Moneda de Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1849-1857 |
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| Currency | Real (1841-1864) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse retains the residual design elements of the original host coin, which appears to be a Spanish colonial or early Central American republic issue. Partial date numerals and fragmentary legends are discernible around the periphery, consistent with coins of the mid-nineteenth century regional coinage. The fields are heavily worn and abraded, with only vestiges of the original design motifs remaining legible. No additional countermark or government stamp is present on this side. |
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| Additional information |
Costa Rica's countermarking program of the mid-nineteenth century arose from a chronic shortage of small-denomination silver in circulation. Existing half-real coins from Guatemala and other Central American mints were overstruck with the Costa Rican dies to legitimize them as domestic currency — a practical solution common among newly independent republics with limited minting infrastructure.
Type VII specifically refers to the countermark die variety catalogued in the KM sequence, distinguishable from earlier types by punch characteristics rather than host coin origin. The host pieces vary considerably, and identifying the original issuer beneath the countermark is half the collector challenge.