Catalog
2 Reales - Carlos III Proclamation
| Issuer | Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1760 |
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| Value | 2 Reales |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicts a horse and rider in full gallop positioned above two prominently rendered twin volcanoes, symbolic of the Guatemalan landscape and the captaincy general. The composition is set within an open field with the date 1760 displayed in the lower exergual area. The surrounding circular legend GUAT · IN · EIUS · PROCLAMATIONE · 1760 · runs along the inner border, commemorating the proclamation of Carlos III in Guatemala. The engraving is characteristic of colonial Central American proclamation coinage, with bold if somewhat naive rendering. A hole punch is visible at the upper left, indicating former use as a suspended ornament or keepsake. |
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| Additional information |
Proclamation pieces like this were not circulating coinage — they were struck specifically to be thrown into crowds during the public acclamation ceremony marking Carlos III's recognition as king in Guatemala City. The practice, known as the volateo, meant these coins were caught, scrambled for, and pocketed as keepsakes rather than spent, which largely explains why survivors tend to appear in better condition than their age suggests.
Carlos III had already been ruling Naples and Sicily for over two decades before inheriting the Spanish throne in 1759, making the Guatemalan proclamation — held the following year — a belated formality across the Atlantic.