Catalog
1 Octavo - Carlos III
| Issuer | Manila Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1773-1783 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A crowned lion passant guardant, rendered in high relief, is depicted straddling two hemispheric globes representing the Old and New Worlds, with stylized waves indicated below, all contained within a beaded inner circle. The mint mark 'M' for Manila appears flanking the date on either side within the legend. The surrounding circular Latin legend proclaims the protective role of the Spanish Crown over both hemispheres, and the date of issue is incorporated into the legend itself. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Manila Mint was established in 1766 specifically to address the chronic shortage of small change in the Philippines, where Mexican silver reales dominated trade but fractional copper coinage was nearly nonexistent. The octavo series was the mint's first sustained copper issue, intended to serve the everyday transactions that silver could not practically reach. Production was irregular throughout the 1773–1783 window, hampered by inconsistent copper supply and the administrative disruptions following the British occupation of Manila in 1762–1764, which had left the colonial monetary infrastructure in considerable disarray.
KM#3 specimens frequently show uneven planchet preparation — a documented characteristic of the Manila Mint's early copper work, not random wear.