Catalog
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| Issuer | Casa de Moneda de Chile |
|---|---|
| Year | 1772-1789 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The crowned royal arms of Spain occupy the central field, depicting the quartered shield with the castles of Castile, lions of León, the chain of Navarre, and the pomegranate of Granada, with the escutcheon of the House of Bourbon at center. The shield is flanked by the denomination numeral 8 to the left and the assayer initial S to the right, with the mint mark So and assayer initials DA appearing at the base below the shield. A wreath of laurel and olive branches encircles the arms, and the circular Latin legend runs along the periphery within a denticled border. |
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| Mintage | 1772 So DA - - 1773 So DA - - 33,000 1774 So DA - - 42,000 1775 So DA - - 36,000 1776 So DA - overdate variety exists - 41,000 1777 So DA - overdate variety exists - 41,000 1778 So DA - - 42,000 1778 So DA - `TE` in legend reversed instead of `ET` - 1779 So DA - - 44,000 1780 So DA - - 42,000 1781 So DA - overdate variety exists - 43,000 1782 So DA - overdate variety exists - 40,000 1783 So DA - - 34,000 1784 So DA - overdate variety exists - 37,000 1785 So DA - overdate variety exists - 34,000 1786 So DA - - 34,000 1787 So DA - - 37,000 1788 So DA - - 42,000 1789 So DA - - 41,000 |
| Additional information |
Carlos III's monetary reforms of the 1770s imposed the bust-type design across all Spanish colonial mints, replacing the earlier macuquina (cob) coinage that had dominated American production for two centuries. Santiago's adoption of the new milled format was slow — the Chilean mint had only recently modernized its machinery, and early strikes from this series show inconsistent collar pressure that experienced collectors recognize immediately.
The Santiago 8 Escudos remained one of the lower-mintage gold issues of the colonial Americas throughout this reign. Chilean gold production was modest compared to New Granada or Peru, and annual output figures rarely approached those of Lima or Bogotá.