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1 Real - Fernando VII Proclamation coinage
| Issuer | Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1808 |
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| Reference(s) | X#2, Medina His#293 |
| Obverse description | Armored bust of Ferdinand VII facing right, depicted with a draped military collar and epaulette detail, occupying the central field. The legend FERDIN · HISP · VII · GUAT · II · is arranged around the upper periphery, identifying the monarch as Ferdinand VII of Spain and Guatemala. The date · 1808 · appears in the lower exergual area, flanked by dots. The entire design is contained within a beaded border. The engraving style reflects the proclamation coinage tradition, with a somewhat crude but characterful portrait typical of locally produced commemorative pieces. |
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| Obverse lettering | · FERDIN · HISP · VII · GUAT · II · · 1808 · |
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| Additional information |
Fernando VII's proclamation pieces were struck not to circulate but to be scattered — literally thrown into crowds during the public acclamation ceremonies that formally declared a new monarch's reign in colonial cities. Guatemala City held its proclamation for Fernando VII in late 1808, months after he had already been forced to abdicate at Bayonne in favor of Joseph Bonaparte. The colonial authorities in Guatemala had no reliable news of events in Spain fast enough to alter the ceremony.
These scatter pieces were produced in small quantities for a single ritual use, which paradoxically accounts for the high-grade survivors — coins thrown to crowds were often pocketed immediately as keepsakes rather than spent.