4 Reales - Luis I

Luis I ruled Spain for just seven months in 1724 before dying of smallpox in August, making his coinage among the shortest-reigned issues of the entire Spanish colonial series. His father Philip V, who had abdicated in his favor, returned to the throne immediately after his death.

The Mexico City mint produced 4 Reales cobs under Luis in both 1724 and 1725 — the 1725-dated pieces struck after his death, using dies already prepared before news of his passing reached New Spain. Communication lag across the Atlantic routinely produced this kind of posthumous coinage at colonial mints.