Carlos III's colonial mints operated under the assayer system, where a single official bore personal responsibility — and liability — for the fineness of every piece struck. The Nuevo Reino mint at Santa Fe de Bogotá used the monogram NR alongside the assayer's initial, and errors in fineness could result in prosecution. That accountability structure is precisely why colonial gold from this period tends to hold its alloy composition so consistently.
The 1772 transition from cob ("macuquina") to milled coinage was mandated by royal decree, ending a production method largely unchanged since the 16th century.
Carlos III's colonial mints operated under the assayer system, where a single official bore personal responsibility — and liability — for the fineness of every piece struck. The Nuevo Reino mint at Santa Fe de Bogotá used the monogram NR alongside the assayer's initial, and errors in fineness could result in prosecution. That accountability structure is precisely why colonial gold from this period tends to hold its alloy composition so consistently.
The 1772 transition from cob ("macuquina") to milled coinage was mandated by royal decree, ending a production method largely unchanged since the 16th century.