Catalog
2 Reales Type VII Countermark
| Issuer | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1849-1857 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Type VII countermark applied to the host coin, consisting of a lion passant within a small circle of approximately 5 mm diameter, surrounded by a circular legend. The countermark was officially applied by the Costa Rican government to validate foreign silver coinage for domestic circulation. The devices are in low relief, characteristic of a punched countermark rather than a struck coin design. The surrounding legend encircles the central motif in Latin script. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | HABILITADA POR EL GOBIERNO (Translation: Enabled by the Government) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Costa Rica's mid-century coinage crisis forced the government to countermark Spanish colonial and South American silver rather than strike original issues. The Type VII punch — applied between 1849 and 1857 — was one of several successive countermark types used as Guatemalan and Bolivian 2 reales circulated alongside domestically validated pieces, the distinctions between authorized and unauthorized strikes becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary commerce to navigate.
Host coin origin significantly affects both authenticity assessment and collector value. Bolivian hosts are the most frequently encountered; Guatemalan examples are considerably scarcer.