8 Escudos - Carlos IV

Carlos IV inherited the throne in December 1788, and the Spanish colonial mints scrambled to re-tool dies and update legends for the new monarch — meaning early-dated pieces from 1788 were struck posthumously under Carlos III dies in some cases, with transitional issues creating collector headaches that persist today. The eight escudos denomination was the workhorse of transatlantic trade during this period, accepted from Manila to Cádiz without assay in most ports.

By the early 1800s, the Napoleonic Wars were strangling bullion shipments from the Americas. The 1805 issues represent the tail end of anything resembling normal production before the independence movements fractured colonial minting entirely.