4 Reales - Fernando VI

Guatemala's cob-style coinage — the macuquina — persisted well into the eighteenth century long after Mexico and Lima had transitioned to milled coinage, a lag that reflected both the relative isolation of the Guatemala mint and chronic shortages of skilled machinery. Fernando VI's reign coincided with a reform push from Madrid demanding standardization across colonial mints, but Guatemala didn't complete that transition until after his death in 1759. Pieces struck during this window are irregular in flan shape by design, not defect.

The Guatemala mint, formally established in 1733, remained one of the smaller producers in Spanish colonial America. Dies for this denomination were often shared or reused across multiple years, making precise date attribution on surviving cobs genuinely difficult.