Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
18 Stuivers Countermark C19
| Issuer | Sint Maarten |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820-1850 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 18 Stuivers |
| 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 | A one-fifth triangular cut section of a Spanish colonial 8 Reales host coin, bearing a rectangular countermark applied by the authorities of Sint Maarten. The countermark consists of a recessed rectangular cartouche containing the legend ST. MARTIN in raised Latin letters across the center. Partially visible remnants of the host coin's original legends appear in the upper arc field, with fragments readable as TIA and additional characters consistent with a Spanish colonial milled coinage. A decorative rosette or star device is visible in the lower field below the countermark cartouche. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays the host coin's original milled surface, showing a triangular cut section of the Spanish colonial 8 Reales. Partial legends are visible along the curved reeded edge, with fragments including REX and numerals consistent with a Fernando VII-era Spanish colonial issue dated 1817-1820. The field retains remnants of the original crowned shield design and mint mark elements, though heavily truncated by the cut. The reeded edge of the original host coin is preserved along the curved upper arc of the triangular piece. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Sint Maarten's chronic shortage of small silver currency in the early nineteenth century forced colonial authorities to authorize countermarked Spanish-colonial and Dutch coinage for local circulation at revalued denominations. The "C19" punch — denoting the island's monetary authority — was applied to a range of host coins, most commonly fractional Spanish-American pieces, effectively recycling older silver into a functional local denomination without the expense of a fresh mint issue.
Identifying the host coin matters considerably here. The countermark itself is uniform, but the underlying piece can shift collector interest substantially.