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4 Reales - Fernando VI
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de México (Mexican Mint) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1747-1748 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 4 Reales |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the crowned Royal Arms of Spain — a quartered shield bearing the castles of Castile and the lions of León, with the royal crown surmounting the escutcheon. The mint mark 'M' and assayer initial 'F' appear to the left of the shield, while the denomination numeral '4' is positioned to the right. The circular legend surrounds the device, reading FERDIN · VI · D · G · HISPAN · ET IND · REX, all rendered in capital Latin lettering with six-pointed star stops. The coin is a classic example of the 'columnario' or pillar coinage transitional period, here retaining the armorial obverse type struck at Mexico City. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | FERDIN · VI · D · G · HISPAN · ET IND · REX · MF 4 |
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| Additional information |
Fernando VI's brief reign produced relatively few cob-style reales before the Mexico City mint transitioned toward the milled coinage mandated by Philip V's 1728 reforms — reforms his successor inherited but only fully implemented across all denominations over the following decade. The 4 reales denomination occupied an awkward middle position in colonial commerce: too small for large mercantile transactions, too valuable for everyday exchange, leaving many examples in hoards rather than pockets.
Mexico City's macuquina production was officially phased out by royal decree in 1732 for higher denominations, making any cob-style 4 reales from this period a late survival of a minting tradition stretching back to the sixteenth century.