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5 Pounds Plugged cob 8 escudos of Felipe V, countermarked
| Issuer | Jamaica |
|---|---|
| Year | 1773 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Reverse of the host Spanish colonial gold 8 escudos cob (macuquina) of Felipe V, displaying the characteristic hammered and irregularly struck design typical of New World cob coinage. The central field shows the remains of the crowned cross and castles-and-lions design, partially visible amid the rough, uneven surface of the planchet. The coin has been plugged, as evidenced by a circular plug inserted into the flan to bring the weight up to the equivalent of the Jamaican 5 Pounds valuation. Original legend fragments and mintmark elements may be partially discernible, though heavily obscured by the cob striking method and subsequent countermarking. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Jamaica had a persistent shortage of gold coinage in the mid-eighteenth century, and the colonial administration's solution was characteristically pragmatic: acquire Spanish cobs — the rough, irregularly shaped gold pieces struck at mints in Mexico City, Lima, and elsewhere — and countermark them for local circulation at a fixed sterling value. The plugged cob in question is an 8 escudos piece of Felipe V, meaning it predates the countermark by decades, likely struck sometime between 1700 and 1746.
The "plug" refers to a small gold insert hammered into a hole drilled through the coin to adjust its weight to the required standard before countermarking. The 1773 date reflects the Jamaican authorization, not the original striking.