2 Reales Type VII Countermark

Costa Rica lacked a functioning mint for much of the mid-nineteenth century, forcing the government to authenticate foreign silver coinage through a series of official countermarks rather than strike its own. The Type VII horse countermark was applied to Central American and South American 2 reales pieces in circulation, legally transforming foreign silver into domestic currency by decree.

The host coins vary considerably — Guatemalan, Colombian, and other regional issues all passed under the punch. Identifying the host is frequently as numismatically significant as the countermark itself.