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4 Reales - Carlos IV Proclamation coinage
| Issuer | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Year | 1789 |
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| Composition | Silver (.903) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central field bears a five-line proclamation inscription within a finely engraved laurel wreath tied at the base, all set against a plain field. The legend records the proclamation of Carlos IV in Mexico City in 1789 and the denomination of four reales. The wreath is rendered in high relief with individual leaves and berry clusters clearly delineated. The whole is enclosed within a milled border consistent with the obverse. |
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| Additional information |
Proclamation coinage occupied a peculiar institutional niche in Spanish colonial practice — struck not for circulation but for ceremonial scattering during the public acclamation of a new monarch. When Carlos IV ascended following the death of Charles III in December 1788, each major colonial city staged a formal proclamation, and specially struck pieces like this one were literally thrown into crowds by local officials. They were caught, kept, and rarely spent.
Carlos IV's reign would prove turbulent — Napoleon's pressure eventually forced his abdication in 1808 — but in 1789 Mexico City was simply following protocol. The survival rate of proclamation pieces in decent condition is accordingly higher than comparable circulating issues of the same denomination.