Carlos IV ascended to the Spanish throne in December 1788 following the death of his father, Carlos III. This two-escudo piece was struck during the transitional assay period before the new monarch's portrait dies were fully adopted across colonial mints — Guatemala being among the slower to update its working dies relative to Mexico City. The result is an issue produced across two calendar years under a single type, reflecting administrative lag rather than deliberate policy.
The Casa de Moneda de Guatemala, established in 1733, was the only authorized mint in Central America throughout the colonial period.
Carlos IV ascended to the Spanish throne in December 1788 following the death of his father, Carlos III. This two-escudo piece was struck during the transitional assay period before the new monarch's portrait dies were fully adopted across colonial mints — Guatemala being among the slower to update its working dies relative to Mexico City. The result is an issue produced across two calendar years under a single type, reflecting administrative lag rather than deliberate policy.
The Casa de Moneda de Guatemala, established in 1733, was the only authorized mint in Central America throughout the colonial period.