Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1764-1772 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Armored bust of King Carlos III facing right, rendered in the so-called 'rat nose' style — a crude, early interpretation of the royal effigy distinctive to the Santiago Mint — with the king wearing a cuirass and lace cravat. The date appears in the lower field beneath the truncation. The surrounding legend reads CAROLUS III D G HISP ET IND REX, separated by ornamental stops, running clockwise from the left. The portrait displays the characteristic exaggerated facial features associated with this bust variety, including a pronounced, elongated nose. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | (So) Casa de Moneda de Chile, Santiago, Chile (1743-date) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The "rat nose" designation refers to a specific punch characteristic on the Carlos III portrait used at the Santiago mint during this period — the truncated, upturned profile of the bust as rendered by local die cutters working at some remove from metropolitan Spanish standards. Santiago's engravers were producing their own interpretations rather than working directly from officially sanctioned punches, which accounts for the stylistic divergence that distinguishes this type from contemporaneous Lima or Mexico City issues.
Chile's 8 escudos from this window are considerably scarcer than those of the larger Viceroyalty mints. Santiago's gold output was constrained by both ore supply and refining capacity throughout the 1760s.