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4 Reales - Felipe IV
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Lima |
|---|---|
| Year | 1659-1660 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Cob |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Felipe IV's reign saw the Lima mint operating under chronic pressure to meet remittance quotas bound for Seville, and the cob coinage of this period reflects exactly that — production speed prioritized over uniformity. The 4 reales macuquina was hand-hammered on irregular planchets cut from cast silver bars, which explains the irregular shapes that define the type rather than distinguish individual specimens.
The late 1650s were also the years immediately following the great Lima mint fraud scandal, uncovered in 1649, in which assayers had been systematically debasing coin silver for years. By 1659, the assayer accountability system had been overhauled, making issues from this window the first produced under the reformed supervision structure.