Louis I of Spain reigned for just seven months before dying of smallpox in August 1724, yet coins bearing his name continued to be struck at Potosí well into 1727 — a consequence of the communication lag between Madrid and the Viceroyalty of Peru. His father Philip V, having abdicated in favor of Louis, was forced to resume the throne upon his son's death, creating the unusual dynastic circumstance that produced two overlapping coinages from the same mint within the same short window.
The Potosí assayer initial present on a given specimen is the primary dating tool for this type.
Louis I of Spain reigned for just seven months before dying of smallpox in August 1724, yet coins bearing his name continued to be struck at Potosí well into 1727 — a consequence of the communication lag between Madrid and the Viceroyalty of Peru. His father Philip V, having abdicated in favor of Louis, was forced to resume the throne upon his son's death, creating the unusual dynastic circumstance that produced two overlapping coinages from the same mint within the same short window.
The Potosí assayer initial present on a given specimen is the primary dating tool for this type.