2 Reales - Charles IV

Charles IV was proclaimed king in December 1788 following the death of Charles III, but news traveled slowly to the Potosí mint. The 1789 issues struck at Casa de Moneda de Potosí were almost certainly begun before official word of the succession arrived, creating a transitional period where dies were being cut and revised on incomplete authority. The Potosí facility, operating at altitude above 4,000 meters, was the single most productive silver mint in the Western Hemisphere during this period — its output underpinning Spanish imperial finance across two continents.

The KM#62 series spans only three years before being superseded by updated types as the new reign's coinage program stabilized.